A Powerful Message Sparks a Movement

It's no secret that Michigan State University had quite the PR frenzy in 2018. With news of the Nassar scandal gaining national attention and criticism, communication departments throughout the institution scrambled to promote content without coming across as dismissive or oblivious.

As one of ComArtSci's primary content writers, I didn’t want to give any more attention to the criminal investigation or the institution’s disappointing response. I figured it would be more empowering to shed some light on the student reaction instead.

A group of Advertising students ended up being the perfect subject. What started as a class project became an interactive campaign designed to combat the toxic culture of sexual assault on campus. With a fusion of copywriting, photography and art direction, they sparked a movement called Go Teal.

When the story was published, it had a record-breaking impact on views and engagement. And it didn’t just gain the attention of the ComArtSci community, but also that of Michigan State. MSU Today republished my article, which was subsequently the pinned post of the university's social media channels and the leading banner on MSU's homepage. The story was everywhere.

Up until this point, my role had been to track down stories of ComArtSci achievement and share them with the masses in the hopes of increasing our application rates. This story, however, was more than that. By highlighting these women and their efforts, I was able to ignite a conversation — to force the Spartan community to reckon with this difficult subject and consider their place in it. It was a way for me to participate in the student crusade against sexual abuse and coverup culture, to add my voice to a movement and advocate for survivors.