University Communications and Marketing wins national recognition for social campaign and content

The Bobcats at the Super Bowl campaign produced by Ohio University Communications and Marketing (UCM) has earned national recognition, winning Best Social Media Campaign in the 2025 PhotoShelter Storyteller Awards. Eli Burris, associate director of social media strategy, also received recognition as a finalist for Sports Storyteller of the Year. The annual competition honors exceptional visual storytelling from higher education, nonprofit and mission-driven organizations.

Launched during Super Bowl LVIII weekend, the campaign spotlighted Ohio University alumni working behind the scenes at the NFL’s biggest event. Through a mix of real-time video, photography and short-form storytelling, the campaign showcased Bobcat success on a national stage.

The strategy included posting across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) to highlight successful alumni with a variety of experiences. Across the 41 posts, the campaign successfully obtained over 732,200 impressions with a 9.4% engagement rate. The campaign’s most successful story featured Bobcat alumna Donna Kelce, a post that became OHIO’s third most engaged Instagram post of 2024.

The campaign was a collaborative effort allowing the Scripps College of Communication and the College of Business to showcase their alumni network with the support of OHIO’s main channel.

Eli Burris was named a featured finalist for Sports Storyteller of the Year, a PhotoShelter category recognizing outstanding photography and video in athletics.

Burris captures a variety of events while successfully capturing both the live competition and emotional moments off the field. His work captures OHIO Athletics in moments ranging from NCAA tournaments to on-campus events shared across a variety of platforms and formats.

The award highlights the continued growth and impact of Ohio University’s digital storytelling strategy, which centers on authentic, community-focused content. By combining high-quality visuals with thoughtful messaging, the team creates content that resonates with audiences across platforms.