Celebrating traditions strengthens the bonds and affinity people have with each other and with a specific place or time. The University of Hartford, as a fairly young institution founded in 1957, has been working to increase alumni and student engagement and participation through its UHart Traditions program. In an effort to creatively reach a vast audience—across generations, technology and platforms, and geographically—we replaced our standard print and email calendar-year-end campaign with a video appeal featuring our newly inaugurated president, Gregory Woodward. The video allowed us to introduce President Woodward's personable style and his unwavering dedication to University of Hartford students as a young alumnus initiates him through a few favorite traditions.
From the Judges
The panel debated this video for a very long time. It is charming and effective, and we appreciated the clear message at the end when the president makes a direct appeal. This video possesses a sense of place, a sincerity, and an honesty that emerge from its simple production values. It stuck with us all, which we found worthy of recognition.
