Driving vaccines, renewing spirit.

As Ohio State prepared for students, faculty, staff, alumni and fans to return to a more traditional fall, our marketing and communications focused on two efforts: driving vaccinations and renewing Buckeyes’ sense of community.

A campus vaccination rate above 90%

Vaccines and testing have been a critical component of a more normal fall. To that end, Ohio State focused marketing and communications efforts on urging vaccination (before our vaccination requirement took effect) and sharing information about vaccine clinics and testing.

A comprehensive strategy to promote vaccination, utilizing the Safe and Healthy Buckeyes website as a trusted central source of information, has informed audiences and promoted action.

Summer "vaccine tailgates" were a creative way to educate Ohioans about the benefits of vaccines. The events included food, games, giveaways and appearances by Ohio State celebrities including Brutus — and led to 60 vaccinations.

student and Brutus at vaccine tailgate promoting COVID 19 vaccination


300,000 Vaccine tailgate impressions delivered through Facebook and Instagram.

Two examples of back to campus back to tradition social media posts

Back to campus. Back to tradition

Leading up to Welcome Week, we worked to inspire Buckeyes to take part in the Ohio State experiences that inspire a sense of belonging and community — with a focus on healthy behaviors and well-being. Celebrating a return to campus and our traditions struck the right note. Our office created a flexible framework and toolkit for colleges and units to use as they customized our “Back to campus. Back to tradition.” theme.

To support our return to traditions, a new 30-second television spot debuted Sept. 2, featuring the best of Ohio State’s campuses, learning environments and fan experiences with the anthem “Welcome Back” by Juliet Roberts.

19 million impressions
The television spot garnered 19 million likes, clicks and views since first airing during halftime of the Ohio State football game on Sept. 2.

17,000 Views
President Johnson's first day of class video received 17,000 views on Facebook and LinkedIn.

“The campaign was extremely effective for The Ohio State University Marching Band. As a group within the university that is steeped in tradition and as a group that missed out on all of the excitement of the 2020 season, we fully embraced this campaign as a way to reconnect with our fanbase and let them know that we were ready to return in 2021.”

Evan Drexler
Communications Managers, College of Arts and Sciences
The Ohio State University marching band drum major bending backwards in a social media post