“At first we were a little nervous, because it’s a very big project for first-semester students. But we started working together, helped each other out, and the result was a really beautiful project,” said Sofía Brandelik, anarchitecture student at Universidad ORT Uruguay.
The assignment was ambitious, but the group rose to the challenge: For the second practical assignment of the year in Project 1, a course in the first semester of the program, students were tasked with designing vehicle displays for a hypothetical auto show.
To arrive at a viable solution, they conducted in-depth research and gathered information on the history, identity, and strategies of the seven selected brands: Mini, BMW, Nissan, Renault, Chrysler, Jeep, and Tesla.
Each student in the class was assigned a model of one of the seven brands, and after four weeks of research and creative work, the project culminated in an event where they presented their models to the public and to representatives from six of the seven companies (Tesla does not have a presence in Uruguay).
Boris Goldenberg, Head of Communications and Marketing at Motor Haus (Mini and BMW); Alberto Gourgues, Commercial Manager at Sevel (Chrysler and Jeep); and Mateo Filipovich, Brand Manager at Groupe Renault; joined the faculty in charge of Project 1: Gastón Boero, Dean of the School of Architecture; Facundo de Souza, Gastón Sureda, and Jorge Di Pólito, Academic Coordinator of the program.
After the students’ presentations—in which they outlined the concepts that guided the creation of their models—the brand representatives provided their feedback.
“I’m an alumnus of this university, and I think it’s incredibly important for students to get a taste of what their future profession will be like. Hands-on experience is invaluable. I’ve been talking to the students, and they appreciate our involvement because we provide them with real, practical feedback,” explained Filipovich.
Speaking on behalf of Motor Haus, Goldenberg—who is also an ORT graduate and teaching assistant in the Media Planning course for the Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising Communication—said the company is proud that this academic program has partnered with BMW and Mini. “The projects are very well done and closely aligned with our messaging,” he added.
In the case of Sevel, Gourgues—who was once a student at the university—expressed his satisfaction with the research conducted by the students. “I can see that they read up on the subject, studied it, and really immersed themselves in it. I’d like to come back another time, because it’s truly heartening,” he said.
The executives in attendance took note of the various booths and even took photos to bring ideas back to their companies, as some of the models might become a reality in the future.
“We put on the brand’s T-shirt and pretended we were working for them. We’re students today, but tomorrow we might end up working at those companies,” concluded student Agustina Pitta.
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