Big recently received 10 ADDY Awards from the Birmingham Advertising Federation for its work on JSU’s campaign, developed in partnership with JSU’s marketing team.
For Tim Garner, JSU Executive Director for Marketing and Communications, brand marketing comes naturally after a career of working with brands such as Coca-Cola, Kellogg and M&M Mars.
With Garner on the bandwagon, he turned to Big Communications for help with the task at hand.
“We visited Big, and I was sold almost immediately,” Garner recalls. “The rest is history. Even with the budget constraints that we’ve had, they have really taken us to a new level.”
Big is well known for creating award-winning campaigns that deliver results and change perception. The agency’s creative services fall under the direction of Chief Creative Officer Ford Wiles, who also happens to be a JSU graduate.
“As an alumnus, it was an honor for me to come back to my university and help lead the rebranding effort,” Wiles says. “I’ve always believed that JSU was the best kept secret in the south, and it is exciting to help tell that story to potential students.”
Wiles graduated from JSU in 1996 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
He took several graphic design courses from Diana Cadwallader, a professor in the art department at JSU. Wiles’ presence left an impact on Cadwallader, and she recalls his talent even during his time in college.
“Ford’s student work had the same underlying qualities that distinguish his professional work – good solid typography and strong “edgy” concepts,” Cadwallader says. “He has kept his passion for design.”
That hard work paid off at the annual ADDY gala, put on by the Birmingham Advertising Federation earlier this month, which rewards agencies like Big for their work on various campaigns. Several of the ADDY Awards Big won were for the work they accomplished during the rebranding of JSU.
In total, Big won twenty-three awards. Big won eight silver ADDY Awards for the JSU campaign, including: Consumer or Trade Publication for the “Where You’re Going” print campaign, Interactive Media/Micro Site for WhereYoureGoing.com, Interactive Media/DVD for admissions video, Regional/National Television for “Where You’re Going” TV spot, Mixed Media Consumer for “Where You’re Going” campaign, Animation or Special Effects for JSU admissions video, Music with Lyrics for “We Know Where We’re Going,” and Music Only for music concerning Jacksonville State University.
Big also took home one Gold ADDY Award for JSU: Music with Lyrics for “Do You Know Where You’re Going.”
Besides the ADDY awards, Big received a special award -- the Mosaic Award for Diversity -- for their rebranding campaign at JSU.
“JSU’s student body is very diverse, and we worked hard not only to reflect that diversity in the campaign but also to make sure the campaign connects with potential students from a variety of backgrounds,” Wiles said. “It was exciting to be recognized by our peers for this effort.”
Wiles said that while several factors play into a student’s decision of where to go to college, it comes down to a feeling. Establishing a brand is all about creating the kind of emotional connection that reassures students that, “Yes, you will be happy here.”
JSU’s rebranding is still in full swing, and from the looks of it, the swing is to the right tune.
“We needed change,” Garner says. “We needed a modern brand presence that communicated the outstanding product that Jacksonville State has to offer. It’s really only the beginning with what’s in front of us. We’re pushing forward.”
Julie Skinner, a student worker in the Office of Public Relations, contributed to this article.
Don't get me wrong, I love going to JSU, but I remember when I could take pride in being the "Friendliest Campus in the South". I just can't anymore.. Don't get me wrong, it's still great, just not friendly anymore. That being said, I don't understand why the only thing we should have to be proud of is football. We have so many fantastic departments and organizations that money could support. We got the new Carlisle Fine Arts Facility a few years ago and I was excited, but once we got in there it became painfully apparent that the building wasn't built to accomodate the activity within. For example, the sculpture room, which is full of saws and high powered machines are in a room with no sound absorbing material. You can hear it everywhere, I couldn't even imagine being in there with it all going. Okay, I won't get too in detail with it, I could go on for days. hehe but My point is: We need to get back to being the friendliest campus in the south, and it would help if the powers that be would rethink putting all their eggs in one basket.