20.12.2022

December was a busy month for the Advertising Department! Here we take a look back at two exciting events!

NETEXPLO OBSERVATORY

For a few years now, the Advertising Department has joined 19 universities and colleges tasked with recording the innovations presented at the “Netexplo” event.

On 8th December, Thierry Happe, IHECS graduate and co-founder of the Nexexplo observatory, visited us to present his event to first-year Master’s students. The idea is to encourage students to surf the web throughout December in search of new innovations. To do this, they will be accompanied throughout this process by Sophie Pochet and Damien van Achter.

At stake, for students who hit GOLD, a pass for the Netexplo forum on 18th April in Paris.

This is a perfect opportunity for our students to discover new trends and societal perspectives and to learn how to decipher innovations from a human application perspective.

Netexplo ?

Netexplo is a world observatory of innovations and digital trends co-founded in 2007. It is an international collection network which, in partnership with Unesco, brings to light, thanks to students, more than two thousand innovations per year. These innovations are then screened by experts who put them into perspective in order to develop societal trends. Every year, Netexplo rewards the 10 most meaningful innovations at a global forum in Paris.

Panel discussion on eco-responsibility in advertising

On 14th December, before an audience filled with Master’s students, but also Alumni, professors and other guests from the professional world, five heads of agencies positioning themselves as sustainable participated in a discussion on how agencies can evolve towards more eco-responsible commitments. The result was a dynamic exchange on the honesty of these approaches and on their lateness in the face of our ecological emergency.

During this debate, the speakers reflected on the positioning of their agencies with regard to their choice of clients from an eco-responsibility perspective. This whole discussion obviously raised several other issues: the climate emergency, the future of sustainability advertising, and more.

We particularly remember the mantra offered by one of our guests, Wim Vermeulen: “At the end of the day, you need to ask yourself if you are accelerating or slowing down the transition. (…)”

We would like to thank our five guests, each motivated by the desire to voice their issues, for their attendance and for sharing their expertise on this delicate topic.