From Classroom to Client: How 42PointSEVEN Shapes Future AD+ PR Professional
MSU’s student-run agency gives real-world experience beyond graduation
By: Kaylie Johnson
The room is tense but filled with anticipation. A group of young creatives shuffle through slides, adjusting last-minute details before their big client pitch. They talk strategy, bounce ideas from each other, and then it’s time to begin. They work like any other top ad agency, except they are not ad pros, they’re Michigan State University students. Meet 42pointSEVEN, the Big Ten’s only student-led and faculty-integrated marketing communications agency.
Kelsey Pettengill, a member of 42PointSEVEN and an ad management major, describes her role as “a little bit of everything.” As creative director, she oversees hiring, manages art directors, reviews creative work before it goes to clients, and helps guide the agency’s strategy for finding and keeping clients.
“We run the same way as a normal agency would – we have art directors, account managers, copywriters, videographers; the only difference is that we handle multiple smaller clients at once,” Pettengill said.
One of her favorite projects was a campaign for the dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, as she faced her charge to raise $50 million for the university’s capital campaign.
“She wanted a ‘rock and roll’ inspired tour of the college, and it was a series of talks around the country. We created the logo, style guide and event video. It was a big project from start to finish, and the final product looked amazing,” Pettengill said.
Pettengill says the experience at 42pointSEVEN aligns with what she’s learning in class.
“It’s pretty much a two-way street, I’ll learn a new strategy in class, then actually use it at 42pointSEVEN the next day,” said Pettengill.
She says that hands-on practice has made her more confident and adaptable. Working at the agency has also helped her strengthen essential skills like time management and teamwork.
“You really have to be self-motivated,” she said. “No one’s telling you exactly what to do – you build your own schedule and make things happen.”
For students interested in joining, 42pointSEVEN does most of its hiring in the spring during the Breslin Center Career Fair. Pettengill said sophomores and juniors are ideal candidates, and new hires get to train with outgoing seniors before taking over accounts.
“Working at 42pointSEVEN has given me real agency experience before even graduating,” Pettengill said. “It’s helped me understand what it’s like to work in a professional environment, and that’s something you just can’t get from class alone.”
If you’re an AD+PR student looking to turn classroom lessons into real client work, 42PointSEVEN might just be the best place to start.