SVA Masters in Branding Class of 2025 Thesis Premiere

Welcome to the SVA Masters in Branding Class of 2025 Thesis Premiere! Join us at the SVA Theatre on West 23rd Street in New York, NY, USA for an exciting in-person event.

Each year, students in the program spend a semester developing original thesis projects that respond to the challenges and opportunities of branding in a rapidly shifting cultural landscape. The premiere offers a chance to see this work presented publicly for the first time.

This year, we challenged our students to interrogate what it means for a brand to be accountable to its values. The 2025 thesis challenged them to examine the tension between principle and profit. We asked them to investigate how brands could stand by their convictions rather than bend to the pressures of stakeholders and short-term financial gains. The work investigates not just the cost of compromise, but the opportunities that emerge when brands act with integrity.

Through robust critical analysis, we asked our students to reposition brands that have fallen out of pace with culture. The criteria included how to reposition these brands, develop strategies for greater relevance, and create new tactics in a rapidly changing cultural landscape.

Following the student presentations, a special panel will feature program faculty who authored the Masters in Branding book series. Moderated by Debbie Millman, the discussion will include Dr. Tom Guarriello, Richard Shear, and Mark Kingsley as they share insights from their books and reflect on the projects, the state of branding today, and how brands continue to evolve at the speed of culture. Get your hands on the series here!

The evening will close with a networking mingle where attendees, students, alumni, faculty, and industry professionals can connect and continue the conversation.

Don't miss this opportunity to be inspired and celebrate their hard work and dedication. See you there!