University commericals strike gold

New video advertisements promoting UM sports and campus lifestyle have taken top honors in recent national and regional competitions, continuing an award-winning streak for a UM commercial series started several years ago.

A video that helps rev up more than 25,000 Griz fans before their football team hits the field in Washington-Grizzly Stadium struck gold twice in separate 2008 awards competitions. Known to many as the “football tunnel run” and to others as “Griz Nation,” the three-minute video is about the Montana Grizzlies prepping for games and is shown on the scoreboard’s jumbo screen before kickoff.

The football video won a Gold award from the regional Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s District VIII competition and a Gold award from the national Admissions Marketing Awards Competition. In addition, two other videos, one promoting Lady Griz basketball and another commercial about life in Missoula and at UM, both won Bronze awards from CASE District VIII.

The commercials are produced by Chisel Industries, a Montana-based company. These most recent honors add to a long string of state, regional and national awards won for the commercial series over the past three years.

UM Executive Vice President Jim Foley, who heads the commercial-making effort on campus, said it’s a collaborative venture. “Working together with administrators, faculty, staff and students makes it clear that the future of UM continues to hold great opportunities.

“We have wonderful people on this campus with real talent and true concern for this community and state who continue to be leaders in higher education.”

In addition, several of the University’s recruiting materials and institutional publications won awards in both competitions.
The 2007 President’s Annual Report and the Research View newsletter each won Silver awards from the national Admissions Marketing Awards Competition, while Vision, a research magazine published once a year, received a Merit award. All three publications were produced entirely by University Relations staff.

UM’s writing also captured the attention of CASE District VIII judges, who awarded Silvers to Enrollment Services for copy in its viewbook and recruiting brochure and to freelance writer Deborah Richie Oberbillig for a story on wildlife biology Professor Scott Mills’ research on snowshoe hares that appeared in the 2008 Vision. University Relations Senior News Editor Cary Shimek also won a Bronze award for a story on biology Professor Ken Dial and his major new theory of bird evolution that appeared in the 2008 Vision.

In addition, Enrollment Services won a CASE Bronze award for its Undergraduate Admissions Web site. Enrollment Services also won a Bronze award from the Admissions Marketing Competition for its Total Recruitment Package.

CASE District VIII comprises Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

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Montanan editor receives CASE Rising Star award

The editor of UM’s alumni magazine has been named The Rising Star in Communications by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Northwest United States and Western Canada region.

Brianne Burrowes, editor-in-chief of the Montanan since January 2008, received the award recently at the CASE District VIII annual conference in Seattle. The award recognizes a young professional with three to five years experience in the education advancement professions whose early success bodes well for future leadership and achievement.

Burrowes began working at University Relations while still a student in UM’s School of Journalism. After graduation and at the age of 23, she became the youngest Montanan editor in its 25-year history.