This past summer, I had the opportunity to participate in the Pacvue AI Student
By Molly Eamer · October 13, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
This past summer, I had the opportunity to participate in the Pacvue AI Student Accelerator Program in Seattle. Over eight days in the Pacvue office, I learned how AI is changing the way brands create advertising, and I got to put that into practice on real brand briefs.
During the program, I used Amazon's AI Creative Agent tool to build a Sponsored Brands video, a DSP display ad, and A+ content for a leading consumer goods brand. I also built a media plan to support the creative strategy, recommending a Gen Z target audience, keywords, and the rationale behind each creative. Along the way, I learned that strong AI creatives come from strategy: reading the brief closely, knowing your audience, and refining your prompts until the work fits the brand.
A highlight of the program was taking a tour of the Amazon Spheres and attending a networking lunch, where I had a chance to ask professionals about careers in advertising and retail media. The most interesting part for me was how every panel member had a different path to get to where they are today; some who even studied engineering or physics in university. It showed me how much different perspectives and experiences matter and help create the strongest teams.
The accelerator experience concluded with my partner Emiline Beliard and I presenting our campaign to a panel of brand and industry judges, which was a challenging but rewarding way to end the program. While I learned many new technical tools such as using AI or Amazon’s Creative Agent, I also discovered so much about:
-Generating ideas and learning how to bring them to life
-Working with a team towards a shared vision and collaborating across everyone’s unique ideas
-Presenting to peers and professionals
-Most importantly: asking for help!
Thank you so much to Maura Gilday and Melissa Burdick for creating such a hands-on experience, and to the Pacvue mentors who coached us through every step. I'm excited to bring what I learned into my future endeavors!