In January we were invited to pitch the full athletic department campaign for Oregon State University. Their primary goal was to improve upon the past years marketing efforts and maintain their position as a humble, passionate and dedicated force in college sports. Second on the docket was to step out of the shadows of in-state rival Oregon University, which has overwhelmed college sports with their recent marketing and branding efforts.

We began by setting up a short list of goals:
- Present a growing & maturing OSU athletic department.
- Stay true to the fan base, energize and give them a new reason to believe. Sell the true OSU.
- Provide a great experience, improve ticket sales and increase fan support.

Our big message – dedication and willingness put OSU athletes in the position to overcome, they deliver at the critical moment and this is what attracts fans to OSU games. We summed it up with “Lights Out.” Our secondary messaging was that OSU athletes understand it’s what you do off the field that determines what you can do on it; commitment leads to game day success. “Own the night. Take the day.”

We chose images that highlight defining moments on the field, and tied them back to the core “Lights Out” message with a punch of energy and excitement:

Along with our messaging and imagery, we developed various concepts to create student body & fan interaction. A few of our ideas included an OSU Athletics branded glowing mobile application to pair with a “lights out” chant, glow-in-the-dark apparel, stadium lighting and a handful of others.

Improved social media branding and a new athletics emailer:

We were excited to be invited to pitch alongside a few of Portland’s most reputable studios, Hovercraft being the smallest in the bunch. Unfortunately, this campaign won’t be stretching across the 80′ banners at Reser Stadium. Better luck next time, Hovercraft, better luck next time…