From the Nominator

In the spring of 2020 details about COVID-19 were changing by the day, and misinformation about the pandemic seemed to be spreading even quicker. At the same moment, the general public looked to academics as trustworthy sources for pandemic information. The UChicago office of communications saw an opportunity to leverage the expertise of its faculty and medical professionals to not only examine the immediate impact of the coronavirus, but also the far-ranging implications of a pandemic we were only beginning to understand. 

In developing content that would take a more comprehensive view of this world-altering event, the office of communications aimed to provide valuable perspective at an uncertain time while fulfilling its mission to enhance the eminence of the university and raise the visibility of our faculty expertise.

UChicago communications’ pandemic pivot was “COVID 2025: Our World in the Next Five Years”—a video campaign that combined faculty expertise, remote technology, production skill, relationship building, short-term problem solving, and long-view planning.

The series featured faculty discussing the long-term implications of the pandemic on a variety of fields, and was produced using remote editing and management tools. COVID 2025 used social video techniques to turn academic research into content that appealed to an online “knowledge-seeking” audience. 

In addition to being the most successful video series UChicago communications has developed, COVID 2025 served as a blueprint for how the university could continue to develop quality content during a period of remote work.

From the Judges

This was a comprehensive, strategic approach that had a positive impact. They did a good job of cutting through the clutter of contrasting viewpoints during a time of uncertainty. The finished product was very appealing and professionally done—with a quick turnaround.