‘It’s crunch time’: Over 24 hours, VCU students creat

marketing solutions for Richmond nonprofits

Clipped from: https://news.vcu.edu/article/Its_crunch_time_Over_24

_hours_VCU_students_create_marketing_solutions
At CreateAthon@VCU, held during spring break, student volunteers work
round-the-clock to provide communication solutions to local organizations

Theo Haggins, a junior creative and strategic advertising major, show

Andrea Wright of the Black History Museum and Cultural Center his
team's social media content designs for the museum. (Photo by Brian
McNeill, University Public Affairs)

Monday, March 11, 2019

major, shows Andrea Wright of the Black History Museum and
Cultural Center his team's social media content designs for the
museum. (Photo by Brian McNeill, University Public Affairs)

Monday, March 11, 2019

Virginia Commonwealth University student Theo Haggins and

his teammates were up for 24 hours straight, developing T-
shirt designs, a brochure, an email blast template and an
integrated social media campaign for the Black History Museum
and Cultural Center of Virginia.

“We did basically a month’s worth of work, but in 24 hours,”

said Haggins, a junior creative and strategic advertising major
in the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture in
the College of Humanities and Sciences.

Haggins and his teammates were among roughly 70 students

who volunteered their time during spring break to participate
in CreateAthon@VCU, an annual 24-hour, round-the-clock
event in which VCU students provide pro bono marketing and
communication services to Richmond-area nonprofit
organizations.

CreateAthon, a signature program of the Robertson School,

marked its 12th year last week. Heading into this year, more
than 950 volunteers had provided an estimated $2.1 million
worth of services to more than 100 nonprofits organizations
since the event was launched.
Ciara Reed, a senior creative and strategic advertising major,
shows Andrea Wright of the Black History Museum and Cultural
Center t-shirt designs created by her team. (Photo by Brian
McNeill, University Public Affairs)

“The big-picture goal here is to help nonprofits that don’t have

the capacity to promote themselves or do advertising work.
CreateAthon gives them the tools to do that,” said Peyton
Rowe, CreateAthon@VCU founder and director and an
associate professor of design and creative advertising at the
Robertson School. “The goal is also to give these students an
experience that is very much real-world and very much hands-
on, one that allows them to use their talents and what they’ve
learned in the classroom to serve nonprofits and the Richmond
community.”

Helping the students were 30 volunteer mentors, including

professionals from Dominion Energy, Charles Ryan Associates
and a number of different creative agencies.

“Some of the mentors have been coming every year, all 12

years,” Rowe said. “Their role is to be the bumpers on a
bowling lane. The students are bowling the ball, it’s their
mentors’ job to keep it in the lane. The students are the ones
doing the work. We’re there to guide them.”
doing the work. We’re there to guide them.”

Jenna Thacker, a senior creative and strategic advertising

major, shows early designs for an infographic for UnBoundRVA
to a team of volunteer mentors on Thursday. (Photo by Brian
McNeill, University Public Affairs)

Jenna Thacker, a senior creative and strategic advertising

major, was part of the team that provided services to
UnBoundRVA, a nonprofit that provides talented individuals
from low-income communities a path to entrepreneurship.

“I wanted to do CreateAthon because it’s my last year [at

VCU],” Thacker said during a break about halfway through the
event. “It’s a really good cause to help all these nonprofits, as
well as getting good portfolio material for myself. And it’s
[taking place over] 24 hours. It’s crunch time. It’s about seeing
how much we can really squeeze out in that time.”

Friday morning, Thacker and her teammates presented their

work — including a presentation to donors, an infographic and
a variety of social media content — to Sarah Williams,
executive director of UnBoundRVA.
Friday morning, Thacker and her teammates presented their
work — including a presentation to donors, an infographic and
a variety of social media content — to Sarah Williams,
executive director of UnBoundRVA.

Aaron Keen, leader of the team that worked on UnBoundRVA,

shows executive director Sarah Williams the team's final
infographic design. (Photo by Brian McNeill, University Public
Affairs)

“This work is really, really impressive,” Williams said. “I really

appreciate it, more than you can imagine. Thank you on behalf
of all the great entrepreneurs out there who are trying to
change the world.”

At least one team made a set of recommendations that went

beyond just marketing and communication services.

The team working on VESAP for Belize recommended the

organization — which provides repurposed equipment, training
and technical expertise from Virginia to the Belize National Fire
Service — change its name to Belize Heroes. Along with the
The team working on VESAP for Belize recommended the
organization — which provides repurposed equipment, training
and technical expertise from Virginia to the Belize National Fire
Service — change its name to Belize Heroes. Along with the
name change idea, the students provided a new logo that uses
two colors, emphasizing the words “Be Heroes.”

“I’m extremely happy,” said Archibald McFarlane, founder and

president of VESAP. “I don’t have the words to describe it.
What the students gave us, it’s amazing.”

The team that worked on the Black History Museum received

similar praise.

Andrea Wright, a consultant to the museum, told the students

they did an outstanding job.

“We asked a lot of you because we want to fulfill our mission,”

she said. “And you really captured the essence, I think, of what
we’re trying to do.”