The work of BYU’s Advanced Advertising Lab received a nod from Mike Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services—and it might be featured on your next box of mac and cheese.
Look for the logo and slogan “Eat Well, Play Hard, Make It Balance,”—BYU’s contribution to the Ad Council’s nationwide campaign to fight childhood obesity. Unveiled by Secretary Leavitt in February, the pro-bono work gave BYU students a taste for a national launch and a portfolio boost beyond compare.
“This is not just a public service announcement that airs in the middle of the night,” says Jeffrey A. Sheets (BA ’98), director of the ad lab. “Some of the world’s largest brands are going to utilize branding created by BYU students.”
Only three agencies worked on the campaign: BYU and advertising giants GSD&M and McCann Erickson, who’ve headed accounts for the likes of Wal-Mart and MasterCard. Sheets landed BYU the spot—“after some major selling and prayers that we be considered,” he adds.
While the big firms tackled physical activity and portion control, the ad lab’s assignment was to create a logo and slogan conveying balance.
“The first thing that came to my mind was a teeter-totter,” says Blake L. Hadley (’08), who crafted the final design after long hours spent in the lab munching Nutri-Grain Bars for inspiration. A team of six advertising students collaborated on the final concept.
“They understood the issue,” says Heidi Arthur, the Ad Council’s senior vice president for campaigns. “They did their research, and they were flexible with feedback.”
Sheets says, “They demonstrated that they can do the same work as any other agency in the country.”
