SUNY Canton Public Relations Wins First-Place Award for Cybersecurity Commercial

by Lorette Murray

Canton, NY (06/16/2023) — A commercial produced by the SUNY Canton Office of Public Relations has received a top award in SUNY's annual statewide competition.

The 30-second advertisement for the college's Cybersecurity program received a "Best of Category" honor from the SUNY Council for University Advancement (SUNYCUAD) at their annual conference held June 8.

The ad took first place in the "Videos: Commercials" group, which was judged by a panel of SUNY marketing and development professionals. The SUNYCUAD Awards for Excellence honor the top work from SUNY's 64 campuses in design, advertising, marketing, and development.

The winning commercial premiered in Fall 2022 to coincide with an announcement that the degree had been selected as a National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security Program of Study. It was produced and edited by college Videographer William P. Young, scripted by Public Relations Manager Lorette A. Murray and narrated by SUNY Canton alumnus Alec Knowles.

"Our team worked cohesively to conceptualize and produce a commercial that is as equally impactful and as visually appealing as an ad designed for a global brand," said SUNY Canton Public Relations Director Travis G. Smith. "The videography, music, script and voiceover all work to grab the viewer's attention and hold it until the final frame. It's one of the best commercials we've ever produced."

Smith noted that it was executed in a relatively short timeframe on a shoestring budget. "This award is indicative of the outstanding talent we have in our office, and it's gratifying that we are able to compete - and win - against some of the most creative professionals in SUNY," he added.

The commercial has appeared throughout the Central and Northern New York television markets during high-profile sporting events, such as the NFL's AFC Divisional Playoff and AFC Championship games. It was also part of a paid targeted marketing campaign on YouTube and Meta, amassing nearly 600,000 views on the college's YouTube channel, making it the most viewed SUNY Canton video to date.

Watch the commercial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GraMDNn3IeI

About SUNYCUAD

SUNYCUAD represents all professionals employed in a cross-section of institutional advancement areas at every State University campus. SUNYCUAD has evolved from a small corps of public relations officers into a diverse membership which includes advancement professionals responsible for a wide gamut of specialties, from publications and web page maintenance to alumni relations, marketing and development.

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