Bradley University and BBDO New York are partnering to create the Douglass L. Alligood Award, an annual award that helps fund senior capstone projects dedicated to better understanding the value of diversity in business, particularly in the advertising industry.
The Douglass L. Alligood Award honors a 1956 Bradley graduate and Senior Vice President of Horizontal Markets at BBDO New York. Douglass L. Alligood, a trailblazer while at Bradley, became one of the first black executives in the advertising industry. He was honored in 2010 with the ADCOLOR Lifetime Achievement Award, an award given to Bill Cosby in 2011. The ADCOLOR Industry Coalition is dedicated to fostering and promoting increased diversity in the advertising, marketing and media industries.
“Bradley University is honored to collaborate with Doug Alligood and BBDO to create this significant learning opportunity for our students,” President Joanne Glasser said. “Mr. Alligood has made a lifetime of contributions to promote greater understanding and encourage greater opportunities for all. Bradley students can be inspired by Mr. Alligood’s life story and the commitment and passion he has demonstrated throughout his remarkable career.”
“Creating the Doug Alligood Award is a way to both honor the indelible contributions Doug has made to our industry, as well as to inspire others to follow in his footsteps.” said John Osborn, President and CEO of BBDO, New York. “There is enough talk about diversity, but this is about taking action and attracting more diverse talent to explore careers in advertising.”
To earn the Douglass L. Alligood Award teams of students in the Slane College of Communications and Fine Arts, with assistance from students from Bradley’s other colleges, will engage in a competitive senior research project aimed at providing real results in the business world. Their projects will focus on diversity, branding, consumer behavior, economic feasibility and new media applications. Research, analysis and the creative application of communications and technology will be supervised by Bradley faculty in consultation with Mr. Alligood.
The annual award provides $10,000 to support the work of the students who create the most outstanding project.
BBDO helped conceive the project to recognize Mr. Alligood and to attract diverse students to the advertising industry. During his five decades in the advertising business, Mr. Alligood has turned diversity into a valuable asset by demonstrating that an inclusive environment can create a superior product.
Mr. Alligood has a compelling personal story. He entered Bradley in 1952 after his first college of choice refused to accept him because he was black. Bradley, on the other hand, offered a scholarship and the University arranged a tuition payment plan for his family. During his time as a Bradley student, he was a member of the Air Force ROTC, the band, the Chorale, and he served as a resident advisor. In 1994, the University honored Mr. Alligood by making him a Centurion, an award honoring alumni who have become national or international leaders in their field.
Mr. Alligood is a pioneer in creating advertising and promotions for special markets and minority consumers. Employed at BBDO since 1974, he is chairman of the firm’s Diversity Council. He has been a director of the Advertising Council and is the founding chairman of the Council’s Minority Perspectives Committee. You can learn more about Mr. Alligood at www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxrurCIJJf4 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxrurCIJJf4>.
“Doug Alligood received a high-quality education and broad-based experience from Bradley that enabled him to take the lead in his profession,” said Dr. Jeffrey Huberman, Dean of Bradley’s Slane College of Communications and Fine Arts. “The Douglass L. Alligood Award will encourage and inspire succeeding generations of Bradley Communication graduates to follow in his footsteps as change agents committed to the highest ideals.”