2020-21 SPVA DMT Annual Report

Table of Contents VOLUME 1 Introduction Major Projects Minor Projects Revelry

VOLUME II Social Media Website

INTRODUCTION Statement Team Structure

Statement from the Creative Director //

As a school who champions what it means to be seen and creates an artform out of that meaning, it is vital that our public face and brand properly represent us. The academic year is filled with copious events for all areas of campus, and though marketing and design is important for almost all of those events it stands to reason that it matters more for us in the School of Performing and Visual Arts than anyone else. In this team’s second year we have taken it upon ourselves to build the foundation of a solid, long-lasting, and far-reaching brand while working to develop operating procedures and a system that is conducive for creating the best work in a timely manner, and for creating clear channels of communication for our clients and audiences.

Our year was filled with both major and minor projects which created several learning opportunities for both myself as a Creative Director, and the rest of the design team. The best example of our success comes from our social media and marketing plan which not only worked to engage but to also educate our audience.

This plan, though difficult to implement during COVID, integrated promotion for our major events in areas of recruitment and in showcase areas such exhibitions, performances and Revelry. Due to COVID our social media became one of the only outlets for reaching not only future students but even our current students. Our social media success

Another benchmark success for our design team was the creation, marketing and promotion of our new website.

The team came together rather early to put together a dynamic campaign of commercials titled “We are here” which promoted the new web subdomain (usm.edu/spva). This ad campaign would win 2 Gold Addy’s from the American Advertising Federation. The website itself became the sole platform for student exhibitions and performances as well as guest speakers, symposiums, recruitment events and more. By the end of the semester the website would contain over 150 subpages and over 1,000 images, videos, and graphics.

The end of Spring 2020 academic year created some of the greatest challenges for our team, but also highlighted their efforts and their importance to the SPVA. The 2020-2021 academic year helped to solidify their importance to the University of Southern Mississippi by becoming the public voice and platform for the SPVA. With a flightpath of a traditional return for Fall 2021 the SPVA Design and Marketing Team is excited to see what new challenges they face and what new opportunities await.

Jacob C. Cotton Creative Director Associate Professor of Design

I NT RO DU C T I ON \ STAT E M E NT \ 3

which includes astounding numbers like 20,249 engagements, can be seen in our social media reports produced through Hootsuite and are located in this document.

Though the success of the website and promotion should be deemed unprecedented the highlight of their work would come in the form of the third annual Revelry. Over 7 Major branding designs, an expansive advertising campaign, 50+ webpages, along with promotional packaging, and stickers led to over 9,000 page views, 2,300 unique visits, from 32 different countries and 45 different states. These staggering statistics argue the point that despite COVID this year’s Revelry may be the most successful.

Team Structure //

The structure of the SPVA Design and Marketing Team was developed based off of the traditional boutique size agency structure common in the industry. This structure is meant to simulate a real world working environment to create an experiential learning environment while also allowing the team to function successfully in a high paced and high volume environment.

Creative Director Directs all projects and works with Art Directors to craft strategies and implementation plans.

Associate Creative Director Works directly with the Creative Director to develop strategies, implementation plans and to ensure open channels of communications with team members and clients.

Art Director Team leader responsible for the conceptualization, supervision, and progress of projects and marketing strategies.

Senior Designer Advanced designer responsible for difficult concept and execution and asset management problems.

Junior Designer Entry level designer responsible for executing concepts and providing support in asset management for projects.

Jacob C. Cotton - Creative Director Associate Professor, creator of the design and marketing team and winner of the 2015 National Educator of the Year in the National Student Show and Conference.

Madison Copeland - Associate Creative Director Senior graphic design major and one of only 2 students in the history of the graphic design program to have been accepted into the National Student Show and Conference twice.

Travis Cumbest - Art Director Senior graphic design major and one of only 4 juniors to have ever been accepted into the National Student Show and Conference.

Madelynn Payne - Art Director Senior graphic design major and only junior to have work published in an international publication, Creative Quarterly.

Hannah Cantrell - Junior Designer Junior graphic design major and winner of the 2020 outstanding student in graphic design award.

Keely Trail - Junior Designer Junior graphic design major and vice president of the student design organization, Creative Collective.

Christian Gammill - Junior Designer Junior graphic design major and only student in the history of the graphic design program to have 2 pieces accepted into the National Student Show and Conference in the same year.

I NT RO DU C T I ON \ T EA M STRU C T U RE \ 5

Samantha Nguyen - Senior Designer Senior graphic design major and hand-lettering expert who has won numerous ADDY awards for her motion graphics and design work.

Major Projects //

These large scale mult-week, multipiece projects require significant research and development.

PROJECT NAME //

Lead Designer Jacob C. Cotton

Swiss typographical approach was selected as a way of creating a design that did not single out a specific artist or design style present in the show.

This also made for ease of use for the large amount of type present in the design created by the need to showcase all of the artist/faculty participating.

A secondary motion graphic was created for social media to announce the opening of the exhibit and to gain attention and welcome an audience to a new virtual setting.

M AJ O R PRJ EC TS \ 8

Client: Gallery of Art + Design

THE BIG SHOW //

Lead Designer Travis Cumbest Support: Madison Copeland Madelynn Payne Samantha Nguyen The Big Show, though a colossal failure, was a success in creating a large scale school-wide event on a virtual platform. Analytics for this recruitment event show that social media outreach was as successful as the combined efforts of the past fall recruitment events. However, more direct contact with audience sources ie: schools and k-12 educators was needed.

M AJ O R PRJ EC TS \ 10

A full ad campaign with multiple “trailer” and “tv-spots” along with numerous static ads were created for this event.

Client: SPVA

SENIOR SOLOS //

Lead Designer Madelynn Payne Support: Keely Trail Hannah Cantrell The decision to work with only vector graphics was made early on in the process for both Senior Solos and Sunset Wanderings due to the online nature of the performances. Because these were the first dance performances 100% online and in the middle of covid surge the design team was worried that utilizing the photography at hand would send the wrong message.

A motion graphic and shoptix graphic were also created to promote the event.

M AJ O R PRJ EC TS \ 12

Client: Dance

SUNSET WANDERINGS //

Lead Designer Madelynn Payne Support: Hannah Cantrell Keely Trail The decision to work with only vector graphics was made early on in the process for both Senior Solos and Sunset Wanderings due to the online nature of the performances. Because these were the first dance performances 100% online and in the middle of covid surge the design team was worried that utilizing the photography at hand would send the wrong message.

A motion graphic and shoptix graphic were also created to promote the event.

M AJ O R PRJ EC TS \ 14

Client: Dance

SOUTHERN MISS CERAMICS NATIONAL //

Lead Designer Jacob C. Cotton

At the time this was the largest virtual exhibition to occur at Southern Miss. It was also the largest ever built by Jacob Cotton. This show helped to garner national recognition, partial* data can be seen of this in the analytic documentation that is included in this report.

Additional social media ads, and covers were created to help promote the event.

M AJ O R PRJ EC TS \ 16

Client: Gallery of Art and Design

*site analytics was setup in the middle of the show’s run and does not reflect the opening weeks.

PAINTING CAPSTONE //

Lead Designer Jacob Cotton

The paintings of the senior painting major Darius Harris inspired this design by creative director Jacob Cotton A social media graphics and virtual exhibition also were created for this project.

M AJ O R PRJ EC TS \ 18

Client: Gallery of Art + Design

INTERNATIONAL JURIED PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION //

Lead Designer Jacob C. Cotton Lead Designer Madelynn Payne

Intially this project was lead by Madelynn Payne.

After several attempts to please the client and still create portfolio level work, Ms. Payne was reassigned to work on Revelry related graphics and Jacob Cotton worked directly with the client to achieve the end results. It should be noted that Ms. Payne’s design is likely to win awards in the upcoming award season.

Additional social media ads, and covers were created to help promote the event.

M AJ O R PRJ EC TS \ 20

Client: Gallery of Art and Design

ANNUAL STUDENT SHOW //

Lead Designer Jacob C. Cotton

Due to the difficulty of working with this client the creative director has taken over their projects. This project included the construction of the virtual exhibition, which is of note in that it is twice as large as the Ceramics National, and by far the largest virtual exhibition in the history Southern Miss.

Additional social media ads, and covers were created to help promote the event.

M AJ O R PRJ EC TS \ 22

Client: Gallery of Art and Design

DANCES TO CELEBRATE WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH //

Lead Designer Samantha Nguyen Support: Travis Cumbest Christian Gammill The client asked to use this specific photograph for the creation of the branding. Senior designer Samantha Nguyen known for her handlettering work, worked to create type that would showcase movement and sophistication that could work imagined integrated into the actual space.

A social media graphic was created by tweaking the lighting of this original branding work.

M AJ O R PRJ EC TS \ 24

Client: Dance

DANCING AND TECHNOLOGY //

Lead Designer Christian Gammill Support: Travis Cumbest Samantha Nguyen The client asked for the dancer to be “viewed through a lens” or technology. Junior designer Christian Gammill worked through multiple possibilities. The end result helps to showcase both movement and technology by showcasing a dancer in motion but also creating an off registration glitch which when in progress moves quickly form left to right.

A social media graphic was created by tweaking the lighting of this original branding work.

M AJ O R PRJ EC TS \ 26

Client: Dance

WOOD FIRING //

Lead Designer Keely Trail Support: Madelynn Payne Hannah Cantrell The organized chaos of the wood firing process was the inspiration behind this concept. Using that as a point of departure Junior designer Keely Trail designed this David Carson inspired branding for the documentary video Associate Professor Allen Chen is developing.

A social media graphic was created by tweaking the lighting of this original branding work.

M AJ O R PRJ EC TS \ 28

Client: Art + Design

RECRUITMENT DAY //

Lead Designer Hannah Cantrell Support: Madelynn Payne Keely Trail Junior designer Hannah Cantrell worked with gradients and an off-registration typographic style to create a fun and lively design based on comments from the design team who were all former Art + Design recruits.

This piece included design instagram ads and buttons to be mailed out to students who register.

M AJ O R PRJ EC TS \ 30

Client: Art + Design

DANCE DAY //

Lead Designer Madison Copeland Support: Jacob Cotton

COVID cancelled the planned High School Dance Day for the fall 2020 semester. This spring’s High School Dance Day gave an opportunity for associate creative director Madison Copeland to work with Jacob Cotton to revitalize this design for use.

A social media graphic was also created for this event.

M AJ O R PRJ EC TS \ 32

Client: Art + Design

PERFORMANCE & MEDIA SYMPOSIUM //

Lead Designer Jacob Cotton

Short notice and excitement for the theatre program helped to create this piece. To capture the technology aspect of the guest a round lense effect was used along with a converging colors to illustrate the merging of the two subjects.

A comprehensive web page and schedule was also created for this event.

M AJ O R PRJ EC TS \ 34

Client: Theatre

STUDENT SHOWCASE //

Lead Designer Samantha Nguyen Support Christian Gammill

Original scheduled for the end of the fall semester the dance student showcase is meant to showcase of the Student Dance Organization. The design was mean to bring the style of a “big performance” to the “small screen.”

Additional social media ads, and facebook covers were created to help promote the event.

M AJ O R PRJ EC TS \ 36

Client: Dance

SENIOR CAPSTONE //

Lead Designers Madelynn Payne Madison Copeland

For the first time both Sculpture and Graphic Design Senior Capstone Exhibitions will be opened to the public at the same time. As such they were branded as a series. The design showcases the typical places of creation used by students in these exhibitions but empty illustrating the reality of COVID.

M AJ O R PRJ EC TS \ 38

Client: Art + Design

AD CAMPAIGNS //

Below is a selection of videos and motion graphic work created for various projects.

Please use your smart phone camera to scan the QR Code to view the work.

We are here.

Travis Cumbest

We are here.

Samantha Nguyen

We are here.

Madelynn Payne

The Big Show.

Travis Cumbest

The Big Show.

Samantha Nguyen

Revelry Trailer.

Travis Cumbest Madelynn Payne

M AJ OR P RO JEC TS \ 41

Revelry Teaser.

Travis Cumbest

Minor Major Projects //

Considered “Design Triage” these projects were completed in haste in order to meet quick deadlines.

M I NOR P RJEC TS \ 44

VISITING ARTIST IN DANCE //

M I NOR P RJEC TS \ 46

ARTIST PANEL //

M I NOR P RJEC TS \ 48

OUTDOOR SCULPTURE //

M I NOR P RJEC TS \ 5 0

TALON AD //

M I NOR P RJEC TS \ 5 2

ART HISTORY SPEAKER //

Revelry //

This third annual SPVA arts festival brought many challenges and with them many triumphs.

REVELRY Statement Content Numbers

Statement //

Revelry is the largest and most comprehensive project that the design team handles in any given year. Normally this would mean hundreds of printed pieces such as posters, wayfinding signage, brochures and mailouts. However, the coronavirus wasn’t the only thing novel about the 2020-21. With campus in covid protocols and the design and marketing team transitioned the entirety of Revelry onto a virtual platform.

The success of this year’s Revelry as mentioned in the Creative Director statement is unprecedented. With 9,000 page views, 2,300 unique visits, from 32 different countries and 45 different states the reach of Revelry far exceeded the borders of our local community and invited a global audience. This success is something that should be considered for future festivals.

RE VE L RY \ STAT E M EN T \ 5 7

The new website would work as the virtual platform for Revelry and give the creative director the ability to quickly make additions and adjustments. Due to the new site’s upgrades and capabilities this enabled the addition of schedules, and searchable categorized content.

Revelry would see an additional 50+ subpages and 200+ images and videos integrated into the website. These subpages would each be uniquely made to provide the needed content for each event. In some cases an event would simply need a zoom portal, while other more complicated events required additional, registration forms, pre-recorded video, livestreaming and images.

Given the new virtual format and the novelty of the “computer age” the design team took a retro 1980’s approach to the marketing and promotion of the festival. Designing multiple motion and static ads the team launched a hugely successful campaign that helped greatly contribute to the overall success of the festival. Along with this campaign the team would brand all but one of the headlining events (the Theatre Area is utilizing UC for their performances) and create a documentation and posting cycle for social media during the duration of the festival.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT //

Lead Designer Hannah Cantrell

COMMUNITY DAY //

Lead Designer Keely Trail

FOLLOW THE LIGHT //

Lead Designer Madison Copeland

WINE AND BURGANDY //

Lead Designer Christian Gammill

DANCE ALUMNI CELEBRATION //

Lead Designer Travis Cumbest

INK WARS //

Lead Designer Samantha Nguyen

PFTA ARTFUL EVENING //

Lead Designer Jacob Cotton

By the Numbers Pageviews Sessions Unique Visitors

32

45

Countries

States

*February 1 - 28 - For full report please see Site Analytic Reports

Social Media //

Social media strategy and implementation is the bulk of the output of the SPVA Design and Marketing Team. It requires constant upkeep, production, and daily monitoring

SOCIAL MEDIA Strategy Content Reports Numbers

S OC IA L M E DI A \ ST RAT EGY \ 76

Strategy //

The SPVA Design and Marketing Team is best known for its creation of awardwinning event branding. However, the majority of its productivity is assigned to social media content. Understanding social media and marketing is paramount to the success of the School of Performing and Visual Arts. Event branding holds no value if no one is able to see it and the team has to do more than simply post about the event to truly drive viewership and engagement. For this reason the SPVA Design and Marketing Team has developed a marketing strategy based on analytics and social media trends.

For the 2020-2021 academic year the team expanded upon it’s Education and Engagement (E&E) approach to include more social media trends and designed content. This approach was taken to better identify with our ideal demographic (18-24 year olds) and to combat the lack of engagement content brought about by distance learning. The team instituted daily goals or agendas for posts such as “throwback Thursdays” and “inspirational Mondays” while also integrating new developments in social media platforms such as Instagram reels and IGTV.

Post Revelry the team has found success by focusing on “Faces and Places.” This shift came about as a result of understanding our analytic data. The social media trends identified at the beginning of the academic year began to show signs of a downward turn and possible viewer fatigue. The team studied the analytic data and discovered a noticeable increase in engagement when either a face (student spotlight, throwback, alumni, etc.) or a place (studio, theatre, etc.) were featured. The success of this approach can been seen in the analytic data for March 2021 which became the first month to surpass a Revelry month.

Due to the immensity of work created for our social media the team selected some of their favorite static (non motion) posts to highligt in this report.

Social Media Analytic Reports //

Site Analytics was activated on November 6, 2020. Because of this the data in this report is incomplete for the academic year. However, these numbers do help to indicate the site’s success in the months present in the data, and help to determine hypothesis for the successes in the absent months.

By the Numbers Engagements Clicks Posts

Website //

For the 2020-21 academic year for the first time the public faces of the arts were all virtual.

WEBSITE Statement Platform Reports Numbers

Statement //

As mentioned in the onset of this annual report our art is meant to be seen. Since its founding the public face of the arts at the University of Southern Mississippi have been its galleries, dance studios, and performance theatres, while the web presence has been relegated to a supplementary role. COVID would require the university and the School of Performing and Visual Arts to reconsider this logic.

Due to strict guidelines and unreasonable regulations the School of Performing and Visual Arts found itself grossly unprepared for a transition to a virtual public face. Many of the Spring 2020 performances and exhibitions had to be piecemealed together on an out-of-date and unsupported web platform that had gone unnoticed and had been spared deletion. In 2020-21 through a series of updates and support this platform would become the public face of the SPVA.

After a program language server update (php7) and the implementation of a new subdomain (usm.edu/spva) the virtual public face of the SPVA was built at the unprecedented speed of only 12 days in order to host the first art exhibition of the year. The website would go on to be the host for every art exhibition, dance concert, theatre performance, recruitment event, guest lecture for the entire SPVA. By April of 2021 the website contained over 150 subpages, and 1000 images and videos.

Because of time factors the design team has been limited in their ability to update the website. This has meant that only the Creative Director has been able to update or develop pages for use. The goal for the next academic year, should the university allow for the site’s continued use, is the creation of a series of tutorial videos for use by team members who have been taught a working knowledge of the platform (wordpress) in their ART 443 Interactive Design II course.

This report contains some screen shots of the platform and site but for best viewing please visit USM.EDU/SPVA

S OC IA L M E DI A \ ST RAT EGY \ 135

The website would prove to be pivotal to the success of Revelry as it worked to be the event hub for the festival. Over 50 event pages were created for the festival which also showcased the calendar of events, and a searchable categorized display of the events. Revelry’s success is further explored in the Revelry section of this report and can be seen in the Site Analytic Reports also included in this report. Analytics capabilities were installed on the website in November to monitor viewership and gauge success of events and ad campaigns.

Site Analytic Report //

Site Analytics was activated on November 6, 2020. Because of this the data in this report is incomplete for the academic year. However, these numbers do help to indicate the site’s success in the months present in the data, and help to determine hypothesis for the successes in the absent months.

By the Numbers Pageviews Unigue Visitors Sessions

53

48

Countries

States

*November 6 - March 31