Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Inundated by images of destruction and overwhelming need following Hurricane Katrina, a class of Mississippi State graphic design majors decided to use their skills to create an image of hope.
The resulting media campaign designed by nine university seniors urges long-term volunteering to help thousands on the Gulf Coast recover.
Dubbed "Mission Mississippi," the public service campaign--which the students want to make available nationwide--includes a 30-second video spot produced with assistance from the University Television Center, as well as supporting print materials.
"I wanted my students to get a sense of working with a real client, as well as to focus on social responsibility in graphic design," said Rebecca Davis, an assistant art professor whose background includes commercial advertising.
"Advertising agencies may donate a small amount of their time and talent to non-profit organizations," she explained. "I want to increase that time and change the perception of graphic designers," she explained. "We asked ourselves, 'What can we do to help in the rebuilding?' This campaign is our answer."
The students were emphatic that they wanted a positive message, Davis said. "Some of the graphic design students from affected areas have no home," she said. "We wanted to show that we can pick up the pieces and that volunteering is a long-term undertaking."
Although the students had no budget and no experience in broadcast media, they brought commitment and creativity to the task, she said. "The class agreed they would create a unique 'voice' for Mississippi from a Mississippi perspective versus large national organizations that speak for us from outside the state."
To do that, they developed storyboards for three separate advertising campaigns, complete with concept, tagline, a Web site, and press releases. "Our goal is to make our work available at no charge to tourism and economic development groups to generate continued support for Mississippi," Davis said.
Using the idea that their project would provide a "voice" for rebuilding efforts, the students elected to use black and white photographs with no sound. The student-generated photographs capture people embracing, building and distributing food.
As images appear and fade, the words, "support," "contribute" and "volunteer" silently appear, with the "u" in each word highlighted.
In a final visual, the word "Mississippi" appears, with the "i" highlighted.
"We have the 'i's,'" a voice says. "Now all we need is you."
Davis said the students are committed to getting their positive message out to encourage others to assist Mississippi. She is hopeful that the customizable nature of the approach will allow a way to reach a breadth of audience that otherwise might not be affordable.
"I believe that our response to the devastating event was a critical turning point in the class and possibly in the lives of the students as well," she said.
For more information about "Mission Mississippi," visit http://www.dac.msstate.edu.
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For additional comments, contact Davis at (662) 325-1515 or rad125@msstate.edu.