Tabletop Truths: Persuading Local Prospects
Not everyone can go to Harvard or Stanford. But a local community college often offers a good option for students. Communicating that reality was the purpose of Bow Valley College's regional advertising campaign: Cheeky messages on large vinyl decals glazed onto tabletops in high school cafeterias humorously compared the Canadian institution with its high-profile brethren, while emphasizing its strengths. The project's $300 budget paid off for BVC. The college saw a significant increase in student inquiries through high school counselors and the campus's prospective student center.
Bow Valley College garnered a Circle of Excellence Award, Gold, in the advertising campaign category.
Mashup with a Moral: Dissonance That Resonates
Can confusion create clarity? That was the concept behind the University of Leicester's video to raise awareness for its participation in the United Nations' HeForShe campaign for gender equality. For the We Are HeForShe video, an in-house team interviewed six women at the U.K. institution about being treated differently because of their gender. Six men—including the president and vice-chancellor—then lip-synced what the women said. The sound of the women's voices emanating from the men's mouths produces a cognitive dissonance that causes viewers to focus on the message behind the words.
The external relations team at the U.K.'s University of Leicester won a Circle of Excellence Award, Silver, for short general information videos. Judges called the concept fresh and creative.
Helpful Email Hints: Service Journalism with a Smile (and a Touch of Smirk)
Today's students are avid texters, which means many lack professional email etiquette skills. So the Mizzou Creative team at the University of Missouri produced the helpful and entertaining online news article "Emailing Your Professor: You're Doing It Wrong." Anonymous excerpts from cringe-inducing emails sent to professors demonstrate don'ts such as sending messages at 3 a.m. or 10 minutes before class begins. Select phrases were cross-stitched and featured as art, complete with pizza slice and, yes, poop emojis. The outcome: more than 14,000 website hits, successful sharing on social media, and (we hope) improved communication.
The University of Missouri earned a Circle of Excellence Award, Gold, in the writing for the web category.