Shame On U
When the COVID-19 Pandemic began, internships were cancelled. In light of this, a group of students created a 2-week advertising competition called Indoor Recess. As a participant of Session 1, I was chosen as a strategist out of 400 applicants. The competition involved 10 teams pitching a spec campaign to Color of Change, a progressive nonprofit civil rights advocacy organization in the United States.
The Ask: Push college administrators to strengthen their anti-hate crime policies, punish the perpetrators, protect student protestors, and divest from the campus police force.
We were awarded 3 out of the 5 awards: Best Creative, Recess Monitor’s Pick, and Overall Winning Campaign (Judge’s Pick).
The Brief
Push college administrators to strengthen their anti-hate crime policies, punish the perpetrators, protect student protestors, and divest from campus police force.
Problem
Hate crimes are rising throughout college campuses, but administrations are not responding in a way that protects students and disciplines perpetrators.
Insight
College administrators really only take action when stakeholders (students, parents, and the public) highlight their public hypocrisy.
Target Audience
The Young & Restless: prospective, current, and recent students who are hungry for change—BIPOC students like me who went to colleges marked by racial hate incidents and want their schools to take action.
Strategy
Shame + Transparency: Supply students with the facts about what their school say they’ll do and what they actually do when responding to hate crimes on campus. Armed with these facts, students will create pressure that urges administrators to make changes when their reputation and finances are on the line.
Big Idea: Shame On U
Shame On U is a campaign that exposes the true color of US universities. Schools take pride in the high rankings, shiny buildings, and competitive programs. But there’s an underbelly, a dark side, in student life that administrations don’t want the public to know.
Shame On U is a platform, a movement, and a stance against universities that have not been acting enough against hate crime.
Creative
Website: ShameOnU.com
All of our ads have a call to action to our main website, where we have a “Hall of Shame” to feature Universities who have had many race-related issues. Users can also voice their concerns on social media.
If we click on our example university, Stickmugh U, there will be a call to sign our petition, statistics about racial bias, and a way to ‘@‘ alumni on social media, telling them to support our movement.
The petition page includes our demands to be sent to campus administrators. Once the user signs, they’ll see Color of Change’s impact, share posts with their friends, and print off posters.
Social Media: Twitter
College students, both current and prospective, ask a lot of questions on Twitter. We simply reply with the truth.
Social Media: Influencers
Through the visual and connective power of Instagram, we would partner with celebrities and influencers who stand with our cause and ask them them to challenge their alma mater or current school with the #ShameOnU.
Social Media: Instagram
Through powerful illustrated Instagram Sponsored Posts, we take people directly to our petition page.
Social Media: Youtube
To learn more about universities, students are seeking out content from college youtubers. Videos like days in my life at college, Acceptance Reactions, and College Decisions are becoming more and more popular. By placing Youtube bumper ads before these videos, Color of Change assures that that those who are watching are able to click the site linked and be taken directly to the petition page.
Out-Of-Home:
Bold Out of Home ads will be places around key locations in the university at hand.
Experiential
We created an admissions decision package with slightly different stats & figures about your school of interest.
Imagine being at a Roll Tide football game. Fans cheering, lights flashing.But, all of a sudden, in a sea of beaming red, bright orange strikes through.We say Shame On U louder than any cheer.
Strategist: Me
Strategist: Kristen Wong
Copywriter: Isabella Ciardelli
Copywriter: Maura Munaf
Art Director: Elizabeth Ustinov
Art Director: Jennifer LaTorraca
Project Manager: Emily Smith
Project Manager: Krisha Jariwala
Account Manager: Lindsey Falgoust
Account Manager: Tanner Todd