Office of Marketing and Communications

#BuckeyeLove

For several years, the #BuckeyeLove campaign has been centered on compassion and acts of kindness. It’s a way to engage a broad variety of audiences in rich and meaningful ways; demonstrate the many ways Buckeyes are part of a caring community; and inspire our passionate community to action.

This February, we planned a full day of #BuckeyeLove events, timed to coincide with National Random Acts of Kindness Day. Our goal was to create such a strong visual presence that every person who stepped foot on our campuses felt, saw and experienced #BuckeyeLove.

To do that, OMC needed partnership — and we were met with an outpouring of support. We created a framework and toolkit to provide overall guidance, then engaged university partners (colleges, units including Residence Life and Greek Life, regional campuses, and the Wexner Medical Center). Student organizations were also eager participants: Members of the Boo Radley Society and Ohio Staters joined staff and volunteers. Brutus joined in the festivities, too, spreading joy to Buckeyes at the Ohio Union.

#BuckeyeLove logo with slogan saying "Share Kindness"

Among the day's activities

  • At the Wexner Medical Center, senior leaders took the time to share cookies and their personal thanks to front-line workers.
  • Kindness cards were distributed to students in the residence halls and placed on cars in every parking garage across the Columbus campus. These cards encouraged recipients to pay an act of kindness forward.
  • Coca-Cola ambassadors shared free treats on campus.
  • OMC partnered with students who made phone calls to share the spirit of the day and shared compliments with others around campus.
  • Volunteers set up hundreds of signs across our campuses encouraging Buckeyes to “Share Kindness.”
  • Digital boards across campus — including the electronic board at the Schottenstein Center — expressed gratitude and encouraged kindness.
#BuckeyeLove card layouts

Marketing communications complemented the work:

  • An osu.edu feature story focused on Ohio State’s caring community.
  • President Johnson’s “Notes from a Fellow Buckeye” email to students, faculty and staff led with themes of kindness and community.
  • The Ohio State app shared kindness tips and ways to pay forward.
  • University social accounts shared highlights of the day and amplified user-generated content from students and student groups spreading kindness.

In short, #BuckeyeLove was everywhere — a perfect mid-winter reminder of the warmth and caring of our community, day in and day out.