During the fall semester, Martin Hall Agency’s advertising and public relations students worked to introduce freeze-dried foods to elementary school students across the state. Through their campaign, these students developed and tested their marketing strategies in select schools to encourage healthy eating and educate others about the freeze-drying process.
The team partnered with Sunset Berry Farms, which was awarded a United States Department of Agriculture grant earlier this year to start the project. Freeze-drying allows farmers to preserve their produce for up to 25 years in a manner that retains up to 90 percent of its nutritional value, making it a great option for school nutrition and a way to diversify farm income.
In addition to creating the brand name and unifying look, the College of Creative Arts and Media students created lesson plans, activity sheets and taste-test experiments that they shared with students at three elementary schools in Pocahontas and Summers counties.
“The ultimate goal is to create a fun and engaging environment for students to try new foods and learn about the freeze-drying process. We hope this campaign can create a future partnership between Sunset Berry Farms and West Virginia schools,” said Olivia Klingensmith, MHA’s account director.
This semester, Martin Hall Agency students plan to continue this project and expand the initiative to high school students across West Virginia.
Martin Hall Agency is a student-run advertising and public relations agency at the Reed School of Media and Communications. Students work with real-world clients to deliver innovative and insightful ideas.