Tag Archives: Luke Kenneally

2025 EWU Holiday Video: Teamwork

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To watch the 2025 #EWU Holiday Video, tap here.

The thing about creating something that is memorable and well-received is the pressure to replicate it. After our 2024 holiday video was released, it didn’t take long before the EWU community was asking, “How do you plan to top that?”

It was a question that packed plenty of stress. How could we surpass a highly-viewed video that was lauded for its creativity, student-involvement, and on-brand messaging?

My answer for rivaling last year’s video was simple: Let my team shine.

Thinking about how we would top the 2024 holiday video had me grabbing my head like the student in the middle (source: 2024 EWU holiday video thumbnail)

An Idea Is Born

In 2024, we had a direction. Our holiday video needed to reflect our newly-launched brand positioning (“The Region’s Polytechnic”). In 2025, the directive was more wide open. Because of this freedom, I decided to hold a pitch session.

The 2025 holiday video odyssey started in September. I summoned a small team to our meeting room. We went around the table and we each pitched two ideas. We listened as each person presented and then asked questions. The meeting went well-beyond its allotted hour but by the time we left the room, we had eight possible directions for the video.

Our 2025 EWU holiday video crew consisted of Amy Bradberry (social media manager), Luke Kenneally (multimedia specialist), Ginny Baxter (digital marketing supervisor), Swoop (mascot…but not a crew member), and me.

The Future Is Bright

Eric Limburg, our associate vice president of University Relations, took our ideas to EWU President Shari McMahan. She chose her two favorites and told our team to develop them more. Our crew returned to the meeting room and fleshed out each idea with a full script. Eric then took the built-out concepts to President McMahan for a final decision.

You can probably imagine that the four of us waited with great anticipation for President McMahan’s choice. When Eric relayed her decision to us, we were excited and ready to get to work. Our president selected a concept titled “The Future is Bright.” Originally pitched by our social media manager, Amy Bradberry, the script detailed a quest by Swoop to create an ornament using inspiration and collaboration from all four EWU academic colleges.

After a pretty intense process to identify a theme for our holiday video, President Shari McMahan chose an idea pitched by Amy Bradberry called “The Future Is Bright.”

Refinement

Reflecting on the evolution of the idea is fascinating. Over the course of different script workshops, we refined the story and made some significant changes. For example, the ornament changed to a tree topper, the opening scene changed locations from the Eagle Store to the Arevalo Student Mall, and the assembly morphed from the foundry to the robotics lab—just to name a few.

We also added enhancements that we originally didn’t specify in the script. Fun extras like a map overlay to show Swoop’s campus movements, the incorporation of CGI, and even some Easter eggs were added in the hope of keeping viewers engaged.

But even with those changes, the overall theme pitched by Amy stayed true to its original intent of Swoop uniting the colleges to create some seriously BRIGHT holiday cheer. With the script bolstered and the theme intact, it was time to throw caution to the wind and actually film this son of a nutcracker…

The filming of the holiday video would have our crew doing a lot of running around. Ginny Baxter and I carry the all-important tree with Amy Bradberry walking behind to pick up any ornaments that might fall off (photo courtesy of EWU/Luke Kenneally).

Lights! Camera! Action!

Filming took place over two days in mid-November. After checking the weather each day starting two weeks out, our fears of rain went unfounded. We had calm conditions for both days, a relief for our entire production team—including Josue Schneegans and Tony Thompson from Dryland Media. We brought on Josue and Tony midway through script development for their creative assistance with bringing our idea to life.

As a producer, you can only hope the work you put forth prior to shoot day pays off once the filming begins. Although we had a chaotic moment or two, filming for the most part went very smoothly. However, that isn’t as much to my credit as it is to EWU and the professionalism of Josue—but more on that in just a bit.

We filmed at seven different locations over the course of the two days. The first day wrapped after 8 p.m. but it was well worth it. We needed the darkness to film the final scene when Swoop revealed the illuminated tree topper to President McMahan and the 20+ students who volunteered to make cameos. In exchange for the positive vibes brought by the students, we reciprocated by serving them plenty of hot coco and cookies to maintain their high energy levels.  What a great way to end the day!

Josue Schneegans gives direction to President McMahan during the filming of the final scene that we shot on Wednesday, Nov. 12. It may have been late but this part of the shoot was a lot of fun as the students brought a lot of energy. (photo courtesy of EWU/Luke Kenneally).

The Talent

As evidenced by my description of the final scene, we had many people appear in front of the camera. However, the participation just didn’t extend to that one scene but rather the entire video. We were fortunate to have many students volunteer their time by representing their academic college in the scenes where Swoop picked up tree topper items.

President McMahan once again delivered a strong performance. She was a good sport and devoted an entire Wednesday evening to hanging out with our crew. Even with multiple takes and the chilly temperatures she was nothing but supportive and helpful. As always, she was in her complete element surrounded by the students.

But the true MVP of the video was Swoop. It is a big request to ask an intercollegiate mascot to be available for two hours—we asked Swoop to be available for TWO DAYS. That is a lot of time to be in the suit, especially for something as demanding as a video shoot. But no matter what we asked Swoop to do or how many times we asked him to do it, he always gave 100%. Swoop was professional and coachable from the beginning to the end.

I have so much gratitude and respect for the role Swoop played for us (photo courtesy of EWU/Luke Kenneally).

Post-Production/Launch

The collaboration continued after the filming ended. With each draft we inched closer and closer to where we needed to be. Nothing was more exciting than when the CGI was added that revealed the tree topper in its full glory. At that point, I simply couldn’t wait until the release date.

That day came yesterday. After more than two months of planning and collaborating, my team executed our distribution strategy and launched the 2025 EWU Holiday Video. As the positive feedback rolled in, I visited Amy, Luke, and Ginny in their offices to congratulate them and thank them for their commitment to the project.

Senior graphic designer Emily Ausere designed the YouTube thumbnail. If that isn’t clickbait I don’t know what is…

Gratitude

Speaking of thanks, any higher ed marketing director will tell you that gratitude is abundant with any successful holiday video. As I mentioned earlier, everyone at EWU was so accommodating. From faculty members providing students/classroom space to Dining Services catering meals to Facilities graciously halting their leaf blowers during outdoor scenes, my team was given every opportunity to succeed. Special thanks to the President’s Office for their support and to our Risk Management team for allowing us to do things I wasn’t sure they would.

Much appreciation also to Dryland Media. We have worked with those guys before and they always keep us sane with their talent and humor. On the first day we found ourselves in a couple tight spots and Josue, who directed the video, was so professional and quick on his feet. They did all they could to help us achieve our vision.

And last, but certainly not least, BIG thanks to our own department—University Relations. This year, I offered shifts during each scene of the video for our marketing and communications staffers to hang out on set and assist. We had nearly full participation as everyone contributed in unique ways. Special thanks to Eric Limburg for his support and guidance throughout the project and to Emily Ausere, our senior graphic designer, who is an honorary member of our crew. Emily created the YouTube/social media thumbnails, designed external pieces that promoted the video, drew the picture that Swoop references on-screen, and assisted during the actual shoot.

Ginny Baxter, Emily Ausere, and student intern Aaron Weer working behind the scenes of the 2025 EWU holiday video. It was a lot of fun to have so many of our University Relations staffers assist on the shoot days. In this photo, Emily is actually drawing the picture that Swoop holds up throughout the video (photo courtesy of EWU/Luke Kenneally).

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After all those notes of gratitude, I hope to not appall you with one more “thank you” but here it goes: Ginny Baxter, Amy Bradberry, and Luke Kenneally…what a pleasure it was! Thanks for the creativity and positivity you brought to this entire process. As I noted earlier, watching an idea come to fruition that evolved greatly but still maintained its initial integrity was the most rewarding of all.

The future truly is bright…because I don’t have to worry about another holiday video for at least 9.5 more months. Don’t Blink.

One Year An Eag

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When I reported for my first day of work at Eastern Washington University, something was waiting for me inside my office. Upon walking through the door on August 1, 2024, I immediately noticed the half case of Dr. Pepper on my desk. The soda was a “welcome” gift from my boss, Eric Limburg, who knew my preference for the soft drink from our days at WSU.

Just moments before I drove to Cheney for my first day of work at EWU, Sid took this photo of me. You better believe I am wearing the same polo today.

Throughout my first year as an Eagle, I used that Dr. Pepper as my creative fuel. If I needed to truly focus on a major priority or assignment, I would crack open a can and get to work. Whether it was the 23 flavors working magic on my brain, a jolt from the caffeine, or simply a placebo effect, that Dr. Pepper ushered me through my initial 365 days as EWU’s marketing director.

I had a warm welcome awaiting me when I strolled into my office on Aug. 1, 2024. The 12-pack of Dr. Pepper helped me make it through the first year.

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Meaningful Work

As I reflect on the past 12 months, the work my team tackled is a source of pride. From the moment I walked on campus, our brand evolution was the focus. Thanks to my rockstar squad, we were already in great position to become the region’s polytechnic. But that didn’t stop my colleagues from collaboratively allowing me to contribute (or “try” to contribute 😂) as we made the sprint to launch day on September 24.

We launched EWU’s evolved brand positioning in September 2024. I am proud of the fact that we are able to differentiate ourselves from other universities and that “the region’s polytechnic” has turned skeptics into believers.

That exhilarating moment was just the beginning. Another major endeavor—the public phase of a comprehensive fundraising campaign—was our next priority. As our brand and fundraising marketing took hold, we embraced the task of producing the EWU holiday video. By this time, our team was knee-deep assisting with enrollment, event, and program-specific marketing efforts. As these technical marketing activations reached key EWU audiences, more public-facing PR strategies were transpiring as our sponsorship committee negotiated and executed 29 different community partnerships.

A celebratory photo of our crew after holiday video filming wrapped on November 6 (L-R: Luke Kenneally, Sean Nelms, Me, Ginny Baxter).

Even though I am a digital-first guy, the magic of implementing traditional advertising wasn’t lost on me. Thanks to my talented team creating eye-catching assets, we strategically represented EWU through billboards, newspaper placements, and television spots. Our team also marketed the return of EWU’s commencement ceremonies to Cheney, totally refreshed our multimedia library, brought student-workers back to the office, and shifted the spotlight on the Eagle community with profile features.

The marketing team I oversee is talented and it has been a joy working with them. This was a photoshoot we did for a front page ad in the Spokesman-Review. Luke Kenneally, our multimedia specialist, worked his magic to get some awesome shots of EWU grad student Isabelle Tague.

In The Flesh

Making the work we accomplished even more rewarding was that we completed it in-person. This was a change from my time at WSU where I worked mostly remote. Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciated the privilege of working from home, but my first year at Eastern Washington University made me remember how awesome it is to work on a college campus and engage face-to-face with my team and students.

Working from home was great but I now work in-person. My office is located in the Hargreaves Building on the Eastern Washington University campus.

But the return to in-person wasn’t confined just to campus. I found myself representing EWU beyond Cheney. My role overseeing sponsorships allowed me to march in the Junior Lilac Parade and help prepare our booth at Hoopfest. Our partnership with USL Spokane resulted in an event we co-hosted called Students in the Stadium. On a random Tuesday in April, we welcomed Spokane high school students to ONE Stadium to learn from both USL Spokane professionals and our own EWU staff about careers in athletics.

I walked shoulder-to-shoulder (or wing-to-wing?) with Swoop for most of the Jr. Lilac Parade. Getting out in the community this first year was a lot of fun.

Other highlights included decorating downtown Cheney sidewalks in chalk art, watching an EWU football game from the Endzone Club Suites, conducting a photoshoot at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, attending the Red Tie Gala, and cheering on some accomplished Eagle grads at the EWU Alumni Awards. However, my favorite moment from my first year came during the Eagle Summit at Northern Quest when I had the honor of addressing our Alumni Board, EWU deans/vice presidents, and President McMahan about the progress achieved with our new brand positioning. Thankfully, the speech went off without a hitch and at that moment I had never felt more like an Eag.

A selfie with members of my team and a student after we completed our Turnbull National Refute shoot.

My EWU People

What more could I ask for with rewarding work and vibrant forums to accomplish it in? Well, let me tell you: an awesome team!

For EWU’s New Year party, all of us in University Advancement dressed in 1960s attire. I work with some great people!

Lucky for me, I hit the jackpot. Upon day one, I was immediately accepted by those within EWU University Relations. My boss empowered me, the other two directors pledged their support, and those within the marketing unit gave me their all. Despite my past history with the bitter rival University of Montana, my team saw beyond that (well, except for maybe Kelsey 😉) and did everything they could to help me succeed. It didn’t take long for rapport to develop and a year later I just don’t have talented colleagues, I have some great friends.

Our University Relations holiday party was so much fun. I consider several of the people in this photo as friends.

But my acceptance and support wasn’t just siloed within marketing and communications. I quickly realized that I had strong allies in enrollment services, athletics, and the President’s Office—three areas that sometimes clash with central MarCom units at other institutions. Speaking of the President’s Office, EWU has a superb leader in Dr. Shari McMahan. This is my first higher ed stop where the president actually knows me on a first-name basis. I truly appreciate that President McMahan not only champions what I do as a professional but recognizes me as an individual. And I also appreciate all the other units and departments that have made these first 365 days at Eastern so enjoyable.

President McMahan is refreshingly not like your typical university president. I appreciate the kindness she treats me with and her “whatever it takes” attitude. I took this behind-the-scenes photo during our holiday video shoot. President McMahan was nothing but patient and accommodating when we filmed her parts.

Growth

At the end of the day, I am thankful to work at EWU and serve in the role that I do. Moving into a director spot has allowed me to lead more people, develop a positive culture within my unit, make decisions, and embrace more responsibility. Quite simply, it has helped me grow as a professional.

Sid and me at the EWU Alumni Awards at the end of April 2025. Thankful for a supportive wife who has encouraged me to grow professionally.

None of this would be possible without the trust of my boss, Eric Limburg. He provided me an incredible opportunity and has done everything feasible to help me make the most of it. Sometimes people roll their eyes when an administrator hires someone they worked with at a past institution, so I am indebted to Eric for going out on a limb for me. It is an honor to work for him and see the tremendous amount of respect that he has garnered during his short time at EWU (he started just four months before me).

I am grateful to have Eric Limburg and thankful that he took a chance on me. This photo was taken of us with our wives at the 2024 Red Tie Gala.

I feel the best leaders thrive under a little pressure. Now that I have served as marketing director for a year, the time has arrived to shine brighter. We have big goals at EWU and I am “not new” anymore. With the backing of Eric, the talent of my team, and the potential of this university, I am ready for even more growth during Year #2.

Hanging out with Austin Powers….I mean my boss, Eric Limburg, during the EWU New Year party.

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I look forward to cracking open that last Dr. Pepper later this morning. Consider it the “work” equivalent of eating a frozen slice of your wedding cake on that first anniversary. In the same way the cake brings back memories of that blissful day, I bet today’s Dr. Pepper will bring back memories of when I walked into Hargreaves Hall and the entire University Relations team was waiting for me with donuts.

This Dr. Pepper is waiting for me this morning. Cheers!!

No doubt it will also bring back memories of the times I grabbed a can for a creative boost. As I faced work challenges, the carbonated goodness seemed to suggest that I could find solutions. Yep, that last can of Dr. Pepper expired a long time ago but I know it will taste great today. THANKS SO MUCH to my University Relations team and GO EAGS! Don’t Blink.

A Field Trip For Work

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A unique characteristic of Eastern Washington University is that we are only one of three universities in the country with a research facility on a national wildlife refuge. Just six miles from campus is Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, a 15,500-acre “playground” of beauty and nature.

Lucky for me, I finally had the opportunity to visit.

My team is currently working on a student profile of an accomplished individual, Jeff Schell, who will wrap up his undergraduate career at EWU next month. A differentiator at Eastern is that undergrad students actually do real research and Jeff took full advantage of this perk. In order to tell his full story, we went with him to the location where he conducted fish research—Turnbull!

Our team setting up a shot with Jeff Schell where he tosses a net into one of the Turnbull ponds.

On Tuesday afternoon, I accompanied four members of my team to Turnbull. We followed a group of grad students and Jeff to some cool spots so we could document hands-on learning in action.

Now, to be completely honest, there was some minor anxiety in our group. During the spring and summer months, ticks are very active at Turnbull. In fact, research is ongoing at the site centering on the various species that are thriving there. So, if you notice in photos that some of us have our pants tucked into our socks, we weren’t trying to make a fashion statement—we were just trying to keep the ticks at bay. But lucky for us, we had absolutely no issues or encounters with the creatures while we were there (or when we got home and checked our clothing one last time).

I promise, my socks are pulled up like that for a reason! Meet some of my team members (l-r): Emily Ausere (graphic designer/art director), Ali Saragoza (digital content strategist), me, Aaron Weer (intern), and Luke Kenneally (multimedia specialist).

Turnbull is such a gem. Beauty is visible with every step you take. Gorgeous wild flowers, calm ponds, fascinating birds, and picturesque hiking trails surround you. Perhaps even better than the visual stimuli is the symphony of nature that pleasures the ear. If you ever needed a place to escape and close your eyes to soothe your soul, make a trip to Turnbull.

Turnbull is so relaxing. In this photo, our multimedia specialist Luke captures a headshot of Jeff.

What a treat it was to take a work “field trip” to this nature sanctuary. Jeff was amazing to work with! As for my team, they brought their “A games” as they collaborated to generate the b-roll footage that will make the final product something that prospective students will want to watch over and over again. Special thanks to Luke Kenneally (multimedia specialist), Emily Ausere (graphic designer/art director), Ali Saragoza (digital content strategist), and Aaron Weer (intern) for working hard and making the afternoon so enjoyable.

Our team takes a selfie with Jeff at the end of the shoot.

If you ever get the chance to visit Turnbull, don’t miss the opportunity—just remember to tuck your pants into your socks 😂. Don’t Blink.

2024 EWU Holiday Video: Leveraging The Brand

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To watch the 2024 #EWU Holiday Video, tap here.

A Higher Ed Phenomenon

If you work in the marketing and communications side of higher education, it is inevitable: you will eventually help out with a holiday video. For years, colleges and universities have flexed their creative muscles to make unique and memorable productions that put their audiences in a festive spirit.

In my higher ed career, I have worked on many such videos for various institutions. Each one has been different. From celebratory to sentimental to audience choice to trendy, I have played roles in holiday videos that run the gamut when it comes to theme.

This year, I had the privilege of working on a holiday video that boasted a completely original/innovative approach while overseeing a large role in its production.

As I mentioned above, there are many different angles that higher ed institutions take with holiday videos. Usually, they aim to either make their audience laugh, cry, or feel inspired. Parodies, sing-a-longs, annual recaps, and presidential voice-overs are some of the common forms these videos take to elicit the desired reaction/emotion.

This is the story of how we leveraged our brand positioning through a holiday video that we titled internally as “Where Have All the Acorns Gone?”

A Strategic and Unique Direction

This year at Eastern Washington University, we went a totally different direction. Instead of creating a slapstick laugh fest or a sentimental tearjerker, we opted for a more strategic option. We decided to leverage our new brand positioning.

As I wrote about in September, EWU positioned itself as the region’s polytechnic. Although it took an immense amount of work to launch, that was just the beginning. Since President Shari McMahan kicked off our brand positioning effort 2.5 months ago when she premiered our brand anthem video, we have devoted tireless efforts to establishing ourselves as Washington’s leader in applied learning through strategic marketing. But while paid digital ads, radio spots, and student recruitment posters are just some of the traditional ways we have established our positioning, we have employed savvier methods too.

President McMahan has obliviously played an immense role in our entire brand positioning effort. But she also played a crucial role in our holiday video, too. This photo shows us working with President McMahan on her opening scene.

Where Have All the Acorns Gone?

Enter our 2024 holiday video. We used this highly anticipated piece of content to drive home Eastern Washington University’s standing as the region’s polytechnic. We teamed up with our creative agency, idfive, to make something that would prominently feature our students while telling a story that exemplifies how #EWUIsPolytech.

The gist of the script is this: Set to the cadence of The Nutcracker’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” a rumor circulates around EWU that there is an acorn shortage. Since the nut is a distinguishing feature of our campus, students from different academic backgrounds try to reverse the scarcity. Eleven different academic programs use hands-on techniques specific to their disciplines to solve the source of the shortage and return acorns to their normal abundance on campus. At the end of the video, the teamwork has paid off as a holiday celebration takes place in President McMahan’s office with a bowl of overflowing acorns.

The rumor is started when a student overhears President McMahan jokes about an acorn shortage but “can’t detect the sarcasm through the thick wooden door.”

Bringing the Vision to Life

Filming took place at the beginning of November. Our multimedia specialist Luke Kenneally handled filming, digital marketing supervisor Ginny Baxter provided incredible insight/hands-on magic as our art director, and I served as the producer. Sean Nelms from idfive joined us as the director.

It was such a satisfying experience working with these talented professionals for three (long) days. Our camaraderie was strong as we shared the same goal of creating the absolute best video possible. Over the course of those three days, we worked with 30+ student cast members as we crisscrossed the Cheney campus and filmed additional scenes in Spokane’s Catalyst and SIERR buildings. We also seized the opportunity to collaborate closely with President McMahan as she played crucial on-screen parts at the beginning and end of the video.

A celebratory photo of our crew after filming wrapped on November 6 (L-R: Luke Kenneally, Sean Nelms, Me, Ginny Baxter).

The Big Debut

Late last week, we debuted the 2024 EWU holiday video. My colleagues in higher ed know that there is much anxiety prior to such a release. No matter how hard a central marketing and communications office plans/works on a project like this, there is always the chance for biting criticism and mockery. After all, holiday videos are typically ultra-creative pieces and an out-of-the-box output doesn’t always resonate with all. In our case, would a holiday piece built upon a brand positioning strategy that was seen by some as controversial drive any of our loyal Eagles away?

Thankfully, my natural marketing director pessimistic concerns were unfounded. To this date, I have not seen a single negative comment on our digital channels nor heard sarcastic/WTF feedback from my internal EWU network. The roll out went smoothly and as of Monday evening, the video has garnered 30,000 views across our platforms.

Our EWU holiday video received an overwhelmingly positive response on social media and has already garnered more than 30,000 views across platforms.

Outcomes and Gratitude

The best outcome of all is that the positive reaction to the holiday video is in turn continued positive support for our brand evolution as the region’s polytechnic. People are embracing our applied learning platform and the reception of this major production proved to be a positive referendum on it. Our strategy worked.

Teamwork is imperative to produce a successful holiday video. To that end, I am grateful to so many. Our President’s Office was incredible. They helped with logistical support, allowed us to set up early in their offices, and provided full access to the star of the video—President McMahan. Idfive brought loads of creativity throughout the entire process and served as the perfect partner. The faculty, staff, and students I coordinated with from the academic departments were eager to help and so accommodating. Eric Limburg, our associate vice president for University Relations, guided the project with superb leadership. Finally, my deepest gratitude goes to my team members who stopped everything to devote three days to the shoot. Ginny Baxter and Luke Kenneally showed up each day with the best mix of positivity and motivation while Shelley Stickelmeyer worked behind the scenes to make sure our crew was taken care of and props were ordered.

When we finally settled on the script, it was rather daunting. There were just so many moving pieces and logistics. But with the commitment of so many at EWU, we pulled it off. As the video confidently and accurately states, there’s nothing on earth that can stop this polytechnic. Don’t Blink.