Kent State University Athletics

Professional photo and video assets for Kent State Athletics, supporting team branding, game-day storytelling, and digital promotion.

At Kent State University Athletics, I produced professional photo and video assets to support team branding, game-day storytelling, and digital promotion. I created a collection of high-quality photographs for the Kent State Cheer Team that were used as social media graphics to enhance program promotion, drive engagement, and support fundraising efforts. These assets helped communicate key information around clinics, tryouts, and team initiatives, contributing to increased visibility and outreach across digital platforms. I also captured and edited live-action content that reflected the energy, tradition, and atmosphere of game day, translating in-venue moments into polished, social-ready visuals.

As a former Kent State cheerleader, this work was especially meaningful to me, allowing me to authentically capture the nostalgia and spirit of the program through a creative lens informed by firsthand experience.

In The First Three Weeks I Organically Raised:

Instagram followers

300%

Reach

1,800%

Engagement

1000%

Concept to Delivery Video Production

I directed and produced a social-first commercial video introducing the bar to the city, with a strong emphasis on high-quality production and storytelling. The video was shot using a professional three-point lighting setup, lavalier audio, and a Canon G7 on tripod to achieve a clean, traditional commercial feel, reinforced by a wide aspect ratio. I directed talent through both interview-style moments and guided B-roll scenarios, then edited the final piece in Adobe Premiere Pro with audio cleanup in Adobe Audition.

The video premiered across the website, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, and drove a noticeable increase in engagement—particularly shares—supporting the goal of spreading awareness that the bar was new to town. Following the release, there was also a visible increase in in-person traffic, reinforcing the video’s impact beyond social metrics.

Campaigns and Organic Social and Creative Strategy

1: Associative Brand Positioning

To establish the bar as a recognizable part of Kent State culture, I developed a visual strategy centered on photographing students wearing university colors and Greek life apparel. These images leveraged shared visual cues to signal that the bar was a Kent State–rooted location—appealing not only to current students, but also to alumni and visiting families who associate school colors with tradition, pride, and familiarity.

By using associative marketing rather than overt messaging, the content positioned the bar as an iconic campus-adjacent destination, reinforcing its relevance across multiple audiences through a common identity tied to the university.

2: Platform-Led Audience Segmentation

For this campaign, I shifted the visual language to explicitly capture nightlife moments that resonate with a student audience while maintaining the bar’s upscale atmosphere. The photography focused on close shots and candid scenes that communicated a sense of fun, ease, and belonging. While the moments were youthful and carefree, the styling, lighting, and setting reinforced a more elevated environment, intentionally differentiating the bar from a typical college nightlife venue.

The goal of this strategy was to visually signal to students that they were welcome and that the space was theirs as much as it was a destination for date nights or family visits. This campaign was deliberately distributed on Instagram and TikTok, where younger audiences are most active, allowing the messaging to reach students without diluting the brand’s appeal to older audiences who engage primarily on other platforms.

3: Organic Community Growth Initiative

To rapidly grow awareness and engagement on Instagram, I executed a giveaway campaign centered on the bar’s signature cocktail, the Bobatini—a sweet martini featuring boba pearls. The campaign visual featured bottle service staff alongside a Smirnoff basket styled with boba, High Noons, and fruit to highlight the drink’s novelty and premium experience.

To enter, users were required to like the post, follow the account, tag three friends, and share the post to their Instagram Story, intentionally layering engagement actions to maximize reach, follower growth, and peer-to-peer visibility. The prize—VIP lounge bottle service featuring three Smirnoff bottles and Bobatini ingredients—reinforced the bar’s nightlife appeal while driving organic distribution through user networks. This campaign significantly contributed to increased engagement and follower growth, expanding the bar’s Instagram presence through organic, peer-driven reach.

Food Photography

I captured professional food photography for the restaurant’s website menu, creating clean, polished images that highlighted presentation and quality. The updated photos were implemented directly into the website using Wix to refresh the digital menu experience, and were also shared across social media to maintain a consistent visual identity across platforms.