WWU magazine, video, writing, branding and website projects win regional honors

Western’s Division of University Relations and Marketing has won five awards in the 2020 Best of CASE VIII competition, including two Gold Awards in the magazine and public service announcement categories and honors for writing, branding and website development.

Window, Western’s university magazine edited by Mary Gallagher and designed by Chris Baker, won a Gold Award in the category of Print General Interest Magazines – Circulation of 75,000 or Greater. Judges reviewed the three Window magazine editions from 2018-19.

“Honoring James Okubo” by Faith Haney also won a Gold Award in the category of Video and Multimedia – Advertising Spots and Public Service Announcements. The Window magazine story about Okubo, “Degree of Honor,” by Ron C. Judd, received an Honorable Mention in the CASE Platinum Awards – Best Articles of the Year competition.

Western’s branding campaign, “Make Waves,” won a Silver Award in the category of Alumni, Student, Donor and Community Engagement -- Branding and Image Development/Identity Programs and Projects. Make Waves was developed by Seattle advertising agency DNA and executed by a University Relations and Marketing team including Donna Gibbs, Kessa Volland, Derek Bryson, Rhys Logan, Faith Haney and Suzanne Blais. 

Finally, Western’s website, wwu.edu, won a Bronze Award in the category of Electronic and Digital Media – Overall Website. The site was designed by a WWU WebTech team including Wayne Bakker, Max Bronsema, Carly Gerard, David Engebretson Jr., Stephanie Mason, Nigel Packer and Alex Waltrip.

The annual awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education recognize outstanding work in the fields of communication, marketing and advancement among colleges, universities and private K-12 schools in the Pacific Northwest U.S. and Western Canada.

All award recipients will be recognized at the Best of CASE VIII Awards Luncheon Jan. 30.