During a trek to the Brickyard, marketing representatives throw pamphlets, brochures and even drinks and food into students’ faces trying to promote their products. Today students will have the opportunity to become part of a marketing project promoting the Chevrolet Cobalt and the Heritage High Roots.

A student-led campaign called BrickHouse is part of a national competition for a marketing internship with General Motors.

The BrickHouse Marketing Campaign for Chevy is composed of students working through a program EdVentures Partners is leading. EdVentures Partners act as a liason between students and General Motors, and the program is nation-wide and participated in by various colleges and universities.

Students in the Business 465 class, Integrated Marketing Communications Management, have been facilitating with EdVentures for six years, according the course’s professor, Claudia Kimbrough.

“In the past, [the campaigns] have gotten better and better,” Kimbrough said.

Kimbrough said she felt the experience was more than just a competition.

“They actually have an internship now to put on their resumes,” Kimbrough said.

The students created five groups within their N.C. State campaign, including research, advertising, public relations, campaign implementation, published reports and publications.

Sarah Hannawi, a senior in business marketing, said she felt as the head of the campaign-implementation group, the benefits of participating have extended outside of the classroom.

“It’s really good, hands-on experience for after college in whatever we may pursue,” Hannawi said.

The students involved in the campaign said they are striving to win the competition with the other participating colleges and universities.

“The class is excited about the chance to work with Chevy/General Motors and EdVenture Partners,” Bobby Zaki, a senior in business management and co-director of the campaign, said. “I think the class is more excited to help the N.C. State business program to establish itself.”

BrickHouse Marketing will be evaluated by GM on how many students the campaign reached, creativity, quality of research, advertising, public relations, reports and presentations.

Zaki said he felt the group is ready for the events.

“The plan is to get everyone involved,” Zaki said. “NCSU has a lot of enthusiasm and creativity. We need that for our campaign.”

Students are also excited to see what the group has planned.

Paul Der Ohannesian, a sophomore in sport management, does not own a car and said he would like “anything that is cheap to get me from place to place.”

Der Ohannesian said he felt interested in how the group will “persuade me to buying the car [the campaign is promoting] in the future.”

Other students offered factors they said are important for buying a car.

“They should definitely tell [students] how many miles to the gallon the cars get and safety issues,” Jennifer Cozart, a senior in biological sciences, said.

Zaki said the class has worked hard to brainstorm ideas on how to approach students and offered the Cobalt as an example.

“The Cobalt is really economic, which will help you pay off college loans,” Zaki said.

Zaki described this as the “salesman approach.”

“This is not what we’re trying to do,” Zaki said. “We really hope students are interested in being part of the team more than our target audience.”

In the Brickyard, the car doors will be open to students to “get inside and play with the buttons,” according to Zaki.

Hannawi said students are encouraged to help the group with the competition by participating in the events.

Today’s event will consist of gas card giveaways, food, tickets and prizes.

“We’re trying to get brand awareness,” Hannawi said.

Other larger-scale events are also planned for Homecoming week, and the last events will take place Nov. 9 in the Brickyard.

“As the events go, they will get bigger and more exciting,” Zaki said.

The group said it could not emphasize student contribution enough.

“There is so much we can do,” Hannawi said. “If everyone could come out, that would be great.”

Students like Cozart plan on listening to what BrickHouse has to say. Zaki said the power lies with the students.

“Campus involvement is what is going to separate us from the other schools in the competition,” said Zaki.

For more information, go to the campaign’s Web site, http://www.myspace.com/ncsuCHEVY.