UT Lady Vols Basketball Coach Kim Caldwell (left) with Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations School Student Erin Emmick (right) on the set of a Food City Commercial.
When advertising major Erin Emmick enrolled in a creative strategy course this semester, she didn’t realize one of her class projects would land her a speaking role in a Food City commercial. The course is taught by Charlie Andrews—a vice president, creative director, and writer/producer for the Tombras agency—who is well-known for his role as “Farmer Charlie” in a highly successful Farm Bureau Insurance campaign from the mid-2000s, which he both wrote and produced.
Andrews had always thought about teaching but was unsure if he was qualified to do so until an opportunity arose after he spoke to students in Associate Professor Matthew Pittman’s social media strategy class. The two sat down after the class and discussed ways that Andrews, as a skilled practitioner in the field of advertising, could take his years of expertise to the classroom.
“He [Pittman] told me there were definitely classes that I could teach,” Andrews recalled.
Pittman then got Andrews in touch with Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relaitons Interim Director Courtney Childers, who told him about an opening in the ADVT 350: Creative Strategy class.
“At first I wasn’t sure about teaching creative strategy since I’m not a strategist, but once Courtney shared the syllabi from a few professors who had previously taught the class, I thought, ‘Half the class is campaigns. That’s what I do!’” Andrews explained.
In his dual role at the Tombras agency and the Tombras School, Andrews has the chance to provide students with real-world experiences, effectively bridging the gap between the agency and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
In the course, Andrews has had his students work on real client projects, including a commercial he was developing.
Andrews had a 15-second TV script for a long-standing client, Food City, that needed revision. Since Food City is a corporate sponsor of UT, they have access to UT coaches for advertising purposes. For this concept, they utilized UT Lady Vols Coach Kim Caldwell. Andrews gave the class the assignment of a rewrite under the real-life pressure of a deadline, due at the end of class.
Emmick was one of several students assigned to this task. On that day, she was the only one in her group who attended class. Despite the odds and high pressure, Emmick delivered an impressive presentation.
“I told my students that if any group’s idea was chosen, I would bring them to the set. Since Erin was the only one from her group who came that day, she presented her project, and it was selected. So I brought her to the set,” Andrews explained.
It turned out to be a good lesson on the importance of attendance and also gave the student confidence in her skills. As many students do, Emmick said she struggles with impostor syndrome and comparing herself to the work of others.
There will always be someone who seems more creative, clever, or funny, and that is a hard lesson to learn. Sometimes I even question whether I am in the right industry or if I’m cut out for it. However, having my idea chosen reminded me why I’m here and gave me that little spark,” Emmick said.
As for being part of the production process, Emmick stated that it opened her eyes to a side of the industry she had never experienced before.
“Seeing all of the behind-the-scenes action and watching each person fulfill their role on set was enlightening,” she explained.
Although Emmick was prepared to be on set, she wasn’t expecting to be on screen. During the production, Andrews and his team realized that the speaking role of a reporter interacting with Brian Rice, WNML talk show host and the voice of Lady Vols softball and basketball, needed to be filled.
“It was so cool. We asked Erin to be the other reporter, and she agreed. She got to go to the green room with the other actors, had her hair and makeup done, and nailed her lines,” Andrews said. “
Emmick added, “I wasn’t entirely prepared to be on screen, but I wasn’t about to turn down the opportunity! It was nerve-wracking but so much fun to be immersed in the process..”
Participating in the whole process gave the junior insight into how quickly everyone on set adapted and implemented new ideas such as script changes or camera angles. The entire shoot was a lesson for the student in how to be flexible, creative, and collaborative under pressure.
“Food City is honored to collaborate with Tombras and the talented advertising students at the University of Tennessee to create high-quality content that elevates the Food City brand,” VP of Marketing for Food City Kevin Stafford said.
This experience is one that Emmick will remember. She mentioned that she came to UT as an exploratory major, unsure of her path. However, after taking an advertising class in her first semester, she felt a click and was drawn to both the work and the content presented in lectures.
“It felt like the perfect combination of creativity and strategy,” she said.
Being part of this experience and taking Andrews’s class has further affirmed her passion for the field.
“It feels full circle to be taught by someone from Tombras, especially given their support for the school. Overall, I am just thankful for Mr. Andrews; I have already learned so much this semester,” she expressed.
Andrews hopes to provide more students with opportunities like this as he continues to teach at the Tombras School. He expressed optimism about the future of advertising and public relations, noting that his students are grasping significant aspects of the business. He is enthusiastic about how the Tombras Agency can help foster relationships that lead to real-world experiences and job opportunities after graduation.
He said this generation of students are inundated with advertising on an array of platforms that didn’t exist when he first entered the field, and he continues to be impressed with how savvy they are.
“They use terms that show they can detect when ads are misleading, and they are knowledgeable about who is being truthful. If we can get them to pause their scrolling for just a moment, we’ve done a good job. The awareness they have of what is real and happening in the world, and how we can leverage that from an advertising standpoint, is impressive to me,” he said.
Watch the full commercial below.