Last summer, TJ Daigler ’18 interned at the VIA Agency, a small advertising agency in his hometown of Portland, Maine. He enjoyed working at VIA, since as a smaller agency it allowed him more responsibility in important company dealings, but Daigler knew that he wanted to explore bigger agencies in the future.
His search drove Daigler to New York City this summer, where he looked at several agencies, and eventually took a job as an account management intern at J. Walter Thompson. JWT, formerly an advertising agency, is one of the world’s best known marketing communications companies, representing high-profile clients like Johnson & Johnson, AVON, and others.
At JWT, each day brings with it new and different responsibilities for Daigler. He communicates with clients, conducts market research, researches competitors, and immerses himself in the client’s business. He’s responsible for putting together decks, taking meeting notes, and making sure that the creative, client and account teams are all working efficiently together.
“The relaxed yet driven atmosphere of an ad agency combines work and play and offers an environment where I can think creatively, strategically, and thoughtfully -- much like what a liberal arts education offers,” said Daigler.
Currently, Daigler and the team are working on several campaigns across a variety of different mediums (TV, print, internet, online, digital, social media, etc.). All are in various stages of development and thus require a variety of unique tasks to be completed.
Major: Economics
Hometown: Portland, Maine
High School: Westminster School
Through his work at JWT, Daigler has been able to smoothly apply his diverse interests, from computer science to communication, to advertising, making useful contributions to his work, and subsequently to the world around him. “Advertising is a prominent feature of all our daily lives, and, whether we know it or not, has a profound impact on our culture. I have found that a good advertisement can have a positive impact on our everyday lives,” he said.
At the end of the summer, Daigler hopes to have the skills necessary to hit the ground running after graduation and begin a full-time advertising position. His work at a global ad agency like JWT has shown him the ins and outs of an industry that serves to construct each of our perceptions of the modern world. “Advertising has the power to shape and build our society, and being (at least partially) responsible for the creation of progressive work is something that really excites me,” said Daigler.
