Roosevelt University launches second phase of award-winning Speak Your Mind advertising campaign

Posted: 03/05/2012

A signature advertising campaign using questioning headlines and dramatic photos to encourage engagement around topical issues that are frequently discussed in the classroom moves into an all-new second phase on Monday, March 5. One of the ads, which asks whether social networking can make us anti-social, with the discussion to be facilitated by assistant professor of psychology Jill Coleman, is pictured above.

The updated Speak Your Mind campaign, running in print, radio, outdoor (on billboard at left) and digital advertising formats, features a new round of questions and photos as well as participation by Roosevelt faculty members who will participate in the online discussions.

As in the first phase, the new Speak Your Mind ads encourage people to express their opinions in a public, online forum for all to see. Some of the questions in the campaign’s new phase include:

•   Can green collar jobs revive the economy?

•   Does your address determine the quality of your education?

• Can corporations be counted on to police themselves? (Above left).

• Is renting the new American dream?

• Genetically modified crops. Health risk or the end of famine?

• Is the social network making us anti-social?

brysonmicrosite

“Phase two of the campaign ties relevant and timely topics to specific academic programs and courses,” said Patrick Lytle, assistant vice president of marketing at Roosevelt University. “It also puts faculty members in charge of facilitating the online discussions, much like they do in their classrooms,” he said.

Mike Bryson, associate professor of humanities and director of Roosevelt’s new Sustainability Studies program, will lead the discussion (on microsite above) on whether green jobs can revive the economy.

“I feel comfortable doing this because I view it as being akin to the type of conversation and dialogue that I conduct in my classes,” said Bryson, who believes there are no simple answers to any of the questions being posed in the new ads.

Jill Coleman, assistant professor of psychology, teaches social psychology courses at Roosevelt and will lead a discussion on whether the social network is making us anti-social.

“I think it’s a nice idea to have faculty involved in the discussion,” said Coleman. “Even though I might not agree that social networking is making us anti-social, it is changing the ways we socialize and interact and I’m looking forward to what people are going to have to say on this topic,” she said.

The first phase of Roosevelt’s Speak Your Mind campaign last week received a Silver Award for overall campaign in the 27th annual Educational Advertising Awards competition. Merit awards also were given for the University’s Student Viewbook: Admission Publications; Roosevelt Review alumni magazine; and Roosevelt’s Study Abroad Brochure.

Renting ad

The new batch of ads, which will run through July 15, will be in a variety of media including online, newspapers, CTA buses and bus shelters (at left), Metra stations and on the radio.

As in the first phase, people are invited to go to: speakyourmind.roosevelt.edu where they will be able to read about a faculty member’s take on the question at hand as well as join the discussion on the topic of an ad or on other issues. Everyone’s thoughts will be included as long as they are in good taste. Faculty members will respond as they see fit.

Both phases of the campaign were created by the Chicago advertising firm of Tom, Dick and Harry (TDH), which also previously created Roosevelt’s highly regarded campaign announcing its new 32-story vertical campus.

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