How do you hype up an audience about an event that has happened year after year for over a century? You send one of your most engaging and enthusiastic student videographers to tip her hat to a wide group of fellow seniors. That was the plan behind “Smith College Rally Day!,” a one-off video feature that ended up as the college’s top video—of all time. The concept was simple: Use student voices to showcase a storied tradition in a new, fun, and off-the-cuff way. Not only did the video succeed in engaging current students, alumni, and the wider community on a massive—and for Smith, unprecedented—scale, the video’s reach far exceeded expectations and the incredibly high engagement rate means that this TikTok reigns as one of the top pieces of content ever produced by the college. As one viewer noted, “Never heard of Smith College before, but I love it now.”
From the Judges
This charming tradition was both heartfelt and uniquely tied to Smith College’s culture. With a charismatic host and a simple, homemade style, the production proved that even low-budget content can powerfully boost brand awareness and student engagement.
