SHU Wins Three Educational Advertising Awards
University’s Magazine takes gold award, performing arts brochure and billboard win bronze
Sacred Heart University took home prizes for three entries in the 2022 Educational Advertising Awards competition, a national contest that recognizes the field of educational marketing and advertising.
The Sacred Heart University Magazine’s spring 2021 issue won a gold award for outstanding work in the external publication category. A SHU performing arts brochure landed a bronze award in the brochure category, and an athletics billboard won a bronze in the outdoor category.
SHU’s magazine is published twice a year and relies on the talents of a small group: Deb Chute, executive director of visual communications; Deb Noack, executive director of communications; Tracy Deer-Mirek, associate director of visual communications & photography; and Ashley Vargas, assistant director of graphic design. The magazine is distributed to alums, students, parents, faculty and staff.
Chute says her vision for the magazine “is to create a printed publication that surprises people. This University has changed so much in the six years I have been here that my goal is to have a printed vehicle that people receive and say, ‘Wow, look what’s happening at SHU.’”
The spring 2021 issue, titled “Resilience (noun)―The Ability to Recover From, or Adapt to, Adversity; Toughness,” focuses on life after the COVID-19 pandemic. The cover features a green shoot sprouting between cracks of granite. Each story and piece of content emphasizes the resilience of not only those at the University, but nationally and globally.
The performing arts brochure was a recruitment tool that showcased student life and academics. “The intention of the piece was to show students interested in performing arts the variety of opportunities available to them at SHU,” Vargas says. “All the photos selected demonstrate the rich, cultural opportunities SHU has to offer. I modeled the layout to reflect the University’s branded look and standard.”
“This was the first performing arts brochure we’ve published of this magnitude, and it portrays the full scope of our performing arts offerings,” said Sarah LeBlond, associate director of content development & strategy and adjunct professor in the School of Communication, Media & the Arts. “My goal with the written content was to create a cohesive piece that was not only consistent with SHU style, but reflected the personality of each cohort, the opportunities at varying skill levels and the artistry displayed in the thriving performing arts program at Sacred Heart.”
The athletics billboard won accolades for its adherence to the University’s brand and vision as well, and for the attention it drew to SHU’s athletic offerings.
A panel of industry specialists judged submissions based on creativity, marketing execution and message impact. Judges awarded gold, silver, bronze and merit designations to entries that reflected exceptional quality, creativity and message effectiveness.
