Television Ad Campaign

�鶹��ý produced these television commercials highlighting the accomplishments of its alumni and the "Experience for Life" they had earned through their time at Kent State.

"Fashion"
"Josh Cribbs"
"Town and Gown"
"Entrepreneurship"
"Keeping it in the family"
"Tapping into technology"
"Composing a successful career"

Fashion

Scott Bunner graduated in 2014 with a degree in fashion merchandising. Monique Burkett is a 2002 fashion design graduate who is currently working for Calvin Klein in New York City. Bunner came to Kent State because our fashion school is ranked among the top five in the country. He advises students to take advantage of the fantastic resources available through the university to make the most of their academic career. As a young professional currently working in the world of fashion, Burkett says that industry leaders know that great students come from Kent State and that her education prepared her well for a successful career.

Josh Cribbs

Josh Cribbs, a return specialist for the Indianapolis Colts, wowed Kent State fans during his very successful time as quarterback for the Kent State Golden Flashes. He earned the team record for all-time total offense. Off the field, Cribbs supports the community through charitable activities connected with several local organizations, including his own Josh Cribbs Foundation. For Cribbs, football and education have always gone side-by-side. Cribbs believes in finishing what you start. So, after taking a five-year break to play in the NFL, Cribbs came back to Kent State. He cites the encouragement, support and guidance he received from his advisor Assistant Professor Rozell Duncan in the School of Communication Studies as essential in reaching his academic goal. In 2010, Cribbs completed his degree in communication studies — for himself, his future and his children.

Town and Gown

"Your classes will prepare you for a career, but your experiences at Kent State will prepare you for life." That’s the message that Nader Hassan, a marketing senior, and Brittney Yost, a senior in sports administration, want to share with future students. Hassan had friends and family who attended Kent State, so he knew that this is where he wanted to be. Yost, a manager for the Golden Flashes men’s basketball team, visited the campus and felt an instant connection. Both Hassan and Yost encourage students to get involved and to take advantage of all the campus and the city of Kent have to offer. They say being involved helps students connect and succeed.

Entrepreneurship

Chad Radke, a junior entrepreneurship major, started out in the architecture program at Kent State. But he later found his new path and passion in the entrepreneurship program in the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship. Junior nursing major Breana Jacobs came to Kent State because of the outstanding reputation of the College of Nursing and the friendly welcoming environment of the university. Working together, they discovered a way to combine their interests — and their majors — with an innovative new, entrepreneurial idea. Radke and Jacobs encourage students to get involved with student organizations and to "think outside the box" and explore opportunities beyond their immediate interests and course of study.

Keeping it in the Family

This commercial features two sisters — originally from Ravenna — Joan Stikes-Jenkins, '93, and Gina Stikes-Shoehalter, '94. Joan received two undergraduate degrees —nursing and psychology — representing the College of Nursing and the College of Arts and Sciences. She is currently working on a master's degree in community counseling. She works at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Administration Medical Center and serves America's veterans and their families. Her specialty is caring for homeless veterans, many of whom are returning from combat with post-traumatic stress disorder. Her sister, Gina, was a journalism and public relations major in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, which is part of the College of Communication and Information. Gina is director of marketing at msnbc.com in New York City. Her office is located in the GE Building on 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Gina's responsibilities include collaborating with NBC affiliates worldwide to ensure news content is delivered online.

Tapping Into Technology

Diaz McDaniel, '07, a more recent Kent State graduate, headlines another commercial. McDaniel graduated from the College of Technology with a degree in technology and has also obtained a master's of technology from Kent State. Diaz is a process engineer at Kent Displays Inc., a Kent-based technology company that was the first spin-off company and licensee of the university's Liquid Crystal Institute®. Diaz is using the advanced manufacturing skills he learned at Kent State to contribute to new product development at one of Northeast Ohio's best known, high-tech entrepreneurial firms such as a paperless LCD (liquid crystal display) writing tablet called the Boogie Board, which is selling like hotcakes on Amazon.com and at Brookstone stores.

Composing a Successful Career

The third television commercial highlights one of the university’s famous alumni — Devo band member and founder Mark Mothersbaugh. Mothersbaugh, an Akron native, formed the New Wave band with fellow Kent State art student Gerald Casale, ’70, in the early 1970s. The band’s name comes from de-evolution, a term the two coined following the May 4 shootings on campus. They decided that what they were observing in the world was not evolution, but rather de-evolution. In addition to Devo’s success, Mothersbaugh has become a successful composer, writing musical scores for film and television. He founded Mutato Muzika, an audio services company, in Los Angeles in 1989. He is known for his work for Rugrats, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Yo Gabba Gabba, The Royal Tenenbaums and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Most recently, Devo released its first album of new material in 20 years, and Mothersbaugh and his band mates spent the past summer doing concerts across the country. Mark also wrote a custom music score for three commercials.