Oglethorpe is the recipient of three 2020 AVA Digital Awards, presented annually by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP), for the following projects:

• Flagship 50 – Category of Digital Marketing / Marketing, Digital / Integrated Marketing (Platinum)
• Oglethorpe University Homepage – Category of Web-Based Production / Web Element / Home Page (Gold)
• “This is Oglethorpe” video – Category of Web-based production / Short form web video less than 3 minutes (Gold)

AMCP is an international organization of thousands of production, marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, and free-lance professionals. AVA Digital Awards is an international competition that recognizes outstanding work by creative professionals involved in the concept, direction, design, and production of media that is part of the evolution of digital communication. Work evaluated includes audio and video productions, interactive social media sites, websites and their featured interactive components like video, animation, blogs, and podcasts, as well as other forms of user-generated communication.

Judges are industry professionals who look for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry. This year, there were 2500 entries from throughout the U.S., Canada, and 23 other countries. Sixteen percent of the entries won Platinum, the top award, and about 21 percent the Gold Award. Approximately 8 percent were Honorable Mention winners.

Launched in 2018, Flagship 50 is the first-in-the-nation merit scholarship program in which Oglethorpe matches the in-state flagship institution tuition for all 50 states, for qualified students. The project included the idea conception for the program, naming and branding, website writing and development, print collateral, media pitching, radio and a comprehensive, targeted digital campaign. Oglethorpe’s University Communications is credited with the conception, strategy, branding, website and collateral development, and media relations. Atlanta firm Vert Digital partnered on creative assets and media buying for the digital campaign.

Oglethorpe’s new website homepage is a mobile-first design, content-rich, and ADA accessible. Deeper pages are being redesigned and launched on a rolling basis.  University Communications is credited with the overall concept, IA, copy writing, and photography, and Vert Digital with design and development.

“This is Oglethorpe” is a short video designed to be shown at the start of prospective student campus visit programs. Since a campus tour cannot  show a complete picture of life at the university, the video helps to highlight Oglethorpe’s diversity of people and activities on campus throughout the year. Oglethorpe’s University Communications and Mixed Bag Media collaborated on all aspects of the project.