Thanks to a new membership program on the Shipt app, shopping for college students just got easier.
In partnership with the subscription app, Shipt’s CMO, Alia Kemet and Issa Rae selected four talented students from Howard University to participate in producing a national 30-second spot highlighting Shipt’s new membership plan. BlavityU spoke with Alia Kemet and Avery Harrell, a Howard student and Shipt intern, about their work on the new ad campaign for the latest same-day delivery service app.
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College Juniors Avery Harrell, Serenity Owens, Gavin Kelley and Sophomore Kayla Collins have been mentored by Issa Rae, Kemet and other industry experts. The four interns spent 12 weeks working to conceptualize, film, edit and even act in the ad campaign. The spot was unveiled in Times Square on Aug. 1 on the big screens in the city.
“…Confidence is something that’s so powerful in how you can grow your career. But it doesn’t just happen,” Kemet said. “It happens through the work. Right. And through having success in the work, challenges in the work and overcoming those challenges. And they went on that journey. It was an amazing and beautiful thing to be a part of and better than I envisioned in my mind.”
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Owned by Target, Shipt offers college students a $4.99 monthly membership — a 50% discount compared to the app’s original subscription plan. Students nationwide will have the convenience of same-day delivery on all their needs, from snacks, mental health needs, electronics, room décor, gym essentials and school supplies, all delivered to their dorm room, college house, or apartment.
The campaign released for the latest membership walked viewers through a genuine HBCU student lens while using the app. The commercial portrayed students ordering snacks and necessities during study groups, sports practice and hanging out in the dorm. Shipt intern Harrell is excited for HBCU students to have access to better food accessibility.
“I know for a fact that same-day grocery delivery will be a major hit on Shipt for college students but more specifically for HBCU students,” Harrell said. “It is well documented that communities such as ours are often in food deserts where fresh, healthy food isn’t readily accessible to the average person. With the Shipt Student Membership, college students who might not have access to a car can have their groceries delivered to their doorstep, and that’s a recipe for success.”
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Not only is Shipt amplifying the talents of diverse creatives, but it also amplifies the accessibility HBCU students could receive through this creative project. The membership CMO said this membership is beneficial for Black students and creates opportunities for Black students in the tech and creative industry.
“…Being in this industry for over two decades, where I’ve seen firsthand, where people that look like me do not get opportunities, and you’ve got to get the opportunities early so that they will then be able to kind of roots take root in your career,” Kemet explained. “I had those types of opportunities when I was very young. I had them as a young intern. I had them at Howard. I also had them after Howard. And yet, I still have not seen, literally for decades, we have not made enough progress in this industry, particularly when I think about advertising and marketing specifically.”
According to the Association of National Advertisers’ most recent annual diversity report, African Americans make up only 7.2% of professionals in the advertising industry.
“My main takeaway from this project was that I belonged in these creative spaces. When I first started, I was young, inexperienced, and unsure of myself,” Harrell said. “My confidence in myself and my work grew every single day that I spent working on this project. My ideas were heard and utilized, and I was allowed to be my authentic self, which has led to me trusting in my abilities as a creative, and that is going to last a lifetime in this field. Through this experience, I now walk into every room or creative space, no matter how grand, knowing that I am there for a reason and that I belong there.”
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Entrepreneur, actress and producer Issa Rae collaborated with Shipt as a part of the creative process and narrated the student’s commercial spot.
“As an artist and advocate, championing underrepresented voices has been a driving force in my career. Collaborating with Shipt on this inspired and personal journey deepens that passion,” Rae said in a news release sent to Blavity. “Witnessing the dedication and brilliance of these talented students as they create something truly.”
