Eastern Michigan University wins two Telly Awards in campaign-branding category

The impact of recent Eastern Michigan University advertising campaigns was recognized with two awards at the 47th Annual Telly Awards.

Telly Awards recognize excellence in video and television on both a local and national level. All work entered is reviewed by the Telly Awards Judging Council. The council is made up of more than 250 professionals from television companies, production companies, content studios and more, according to its website. Work may be entered across several different categories including branded content, commercials and marketing, immersive, interactive XR, TV or online series, shows and segments, non-broadcast, social video and animation, within which there are additional subcategories.

In each of the categories, multiple winners are selected for bronze, silver and gold awards, each respectively more competitive. EMU won two awards in the branding-campaign category, one bronze award and one Silver award. 

The Come As You Are advertising campaign won a bronze award in the Campaign-Branding category at the awards ceremony May 19, 2026. The campaign is targeted toward prospective EMU students. The advertisements highlight the work and success of current students.

The Alumni Eagle Impact advertising campaign won a silver award in the campaign-branding category. That campaign focused on post-graduate success, said EMU Vice President of Communications Walter Kraft.

"The campaign was intended to show current EMU students the things they can accomplish right after graduation. Often, advertisements will focus on older alumni who are far into their successful careers,” Kraft said. "The Alumni Eagle Impact campaign highlights the success of young alumni not long after graduating."

“The Eagle Impact was designed to show recent graduates and their success, and to show prospective students that they could see themselves,” he added.

The advertising campaigns are created by a team of communications and marketing staff. The team recruited current students and recent graduates to share their stories, Kraft said.

“Our hope is always that we are creating content that will encourage a prospective student to say, ‘I want to go to Eastern. I see that ad, that is me. That could be me, I want to be able to do what this person's doing, or I see myself in that person that I'm watching. I want to have that same kind of success, and I see that Eastern can provide that’, and this is a good example of that,” Kraft said.