Washington University
Presidential Debate
Washington University in St. Louis was chosen to host the second 2016 presidential debate and in need of digital collateral including multiple animations to post and use leading up too and during the event. The animations could be seen on social media, during news coverage and in the media center of the debate hall.
Creative Direction • Design • Animation • Digital Strategy
The office of public affairs was also tasked with creating other digital and print materials such as website updates, way-finding and email treatments used to identify debate related coverage.
Social media was our primary focus on debate day. From behind-the-scenes photos of Spin Alley to student activities to observations about the debate itself, Twitter and Instagram users made full use of the #WashUdebate2016 hashtag with more than 11,000+ posts before, during and after the debate. Snapchat also sent two representatives to campus, producing a five-minute “Our Story” segment titled “Debate Day” that included snaps from WashU students as well as comments from media figures and political surrogates. The university also provided Snapchat geofilters that could be used around the debate hall. Within the two weeks leading up to the debate, WashU’s Facebook page gained more than 2,000 new followers, and reactions, comments, shares and clicks totaled 10,000+. The rate of follower growth on Instagram and Twitter also doubled weeks before the debate.
