Elon University’s Live Oak Communications Achieves National Recognition with Five AIIM Bullseye Awards
Elon University’s student-run strategic communications agency, Live Oak Communications, has once again demonstrated its prowess in the field by securing five prestigious Bullseye Awards from The American Institute of Integrated Marketing (AIIM). These awards, highly regarded within the collegiate marketing and communications landscape, acknowledge the most outstanding student-led campaigns nationwide across various disciplines, including advertising, branding, public relations, and social media. Live Oak’s impressive haul of three gold medals, one silver, and one bronze solidifies the agency’s national standing and underscores its commitment to delivering impactful, client-focused campaigns.
The agency’s gold medal wins spanned three distinct categories: Social Media, Press Relations, and Advisor of the Year. The Social Media award recognized Live Oak’s innovative campaign for McPherson Cleaners’ "study away" service, targeting North Carolina college students with strategically boosted posts. The Press Relations gold medal celebrated the agency’s comprehensive media kit developed for Olde Forest Racquet Club’s "Club Love" campaign, which effectively amplified the club’s message across various media platforms. Furthermore, Hal Vincent, senior lecturer of strategic communications and Live Oak’s faculty director, received the distinguished Advisor of the Year award, highlighting his exceptional mentorship and guidance in nurturing the agency’s continued success.
Live Oak’s triumphs extended beyond the gold medals, with the agency also securing a silver award in Branding for its work with Blue Ribbon Diner. This campaign leveraged the restaurant’s signature "Dirty Dog" and iconic imagery to resonate with loyal customers and reinforce the brand’s identity. Additionally, Live Oak earned a bronze medal in the highly competitive Agency of the Year category, showcasing the agency’s overall excellence and consistent delivery of high-quality work. These victories underscore Live Oak’s ability to blend creative thinking with strategic execution, producing campaigns that achieve tangible results for their clients.
The AIIM Bullseye Awards serve as a testament to the effectiveness of Live Oak’s experiential learning model, providing students with invaluable real-world experience. By working with actual clients on projects that demand professional-level execution, students gain practical skills and insights that prepare them for successful careers in the communications industry. Hal Vincent emphasized the significance of this hands-on approach, noting that the students’ achievements reflect the agency’s dedication to applying classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios, ultimately benefiting the community.
Live Oak Communications, founded in 2007 at Elon University, operates as a full-service student-run agency, offering a comprehensive suite of communications solutions. The agency’s expertise encompasses a wide spectrum of services, including audience research, content creation, digital marketing, advertising, design, and media impact analysis. Live Oak’s talented student teams demonstrate a strong commitment to developing innovative and tailored communication strategies to meet the specific needs of their diverse clientele.
Currently, Live Oak Communications serves five clients, including the Alamance Chamber of Commerce, The Olde Forest Racquet Club, McPherson Cleaners, The Mark at Elon, and Blue Ribbon Diner/The Village Grill. The agency’s continued success in earning national recognition, including the prestigious AIIM Bullseye Awards, reaffirms its position as a leading force in student-run strategic communications. Live Oak’s dedication to providing real-world experience, coupled with its commitment to excellence, positions its student members for promising careers in the dynamic field of communications.