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Pacific graphic design students win gold for augmented reality ad campaign
A student scans a QR code on a coffee cup to reveal their design.
Graphic design students at University of the Pacific are receiving international recognition for an ad campaign created for Groundstack Coffee, a locally owned business on Stockton’s Miracle Mile.
Students in the Arts 77: Branding and Identity Systems class won a Gold Award from the Horizon Interactive Awards in the Multi-Channel Advertising category for their immersive campaign, which combined branding with augmented reality technology.
The Horizon Interactive Awards is an international competition recognizing excellence in digital, interactive, video and emerging media. Each year, the competition attracts entries from agencies, studios, global brands, educational institutions and creators from around the world.
“Winning the award was a meaningful validation for both my students and me,” said Zoya Laskowski, an assistant professor in the Department of Art, Media, Performance and Design. “This learning process was significant for the students because their work competed on an international stage.”
The ad campaign challenged students to create seasonal ads with cohesive visual elements while exploring how augmented reality can enhance brand storytelling.
Faculty and students gather for a group photo during an exhibition of their work at the Reynolds Gallery.
Over the semester, students produced two campaigns, one for Halloween and one for Christmas. Customers who scanned a QR code on the store’s coffee cups unlocked a digital animation, creating an interactive experience that highlighted the coffee brand’s story with holiday imagery.
“Having the opportunity to work with a real client gave us insight into the professional world,” said Nevaeh Padilla ’28, an art major with a concentration in graphic design. “Getting to work with a local coffee shop allowed us to develop practical skills that we were able to apply directly in our final project.”
The Horizon Interactive Awards honor creative and technical achievements across digital media. For Laskowski, the recognition was especially meaningful because the students’ work competed internationally alongside projects from global companies and renowned agencies.
Professor Zoya Laskowski speaks with students at Groundstack Coffee.
The award also showcased the hands-on student-faculty collaboration at Pacific, allowing students to apply classroom concepts to a real-world campaign.
“Working with Professor Laskowski was a great experience,” said Ashley Brown ’26, a psychology major with a minor in graphic design. “Her support and guidance helped make something that initially felt impossible feel achievable, reflecting Pacific’s commitment to student success.”
For students, the experience offered a chance to build practical skills, gain confidence in their creative work and see how their designs could connect with audiences beyond the classroom.
Learn more about the project and see the students’ work in action.
