Okra fear is sweeping the country! In October 2011, the Delta State University Division of University Relations began developing an awareness campaign designed to be far from ordinary.
The “Fear The Okra” concept was developed with assistance and input from Delta State students to present the university in a creative, unique way that captures the attention of potential students and motivates them to interact. The goal is to engage students, generate an interest in Delta State, and develop relationships that will lead to an increase in student enrollment.
The campaign is based on the Fighting Okra, a student-adopted mascot with multiple stories about its origin. Facets of those stories were incorporated and expounded on to create the Fighting Okra legend.
One major factor of the campaign was garnering university-wide support for the idea. “We pitched the idea to a number of campus focus groups to get a feel for how the campaign would be received,” said Dr. Michelle Roberts, vice president for University Relations. “The response was overwhelmingly positive.”
Student involvement was crucial in the success of the campaign. Open auditions were held for Delta State students interested in performing in the commercials. Additionally, students assisted the production crew throughout the shoots and campus facilities and materials were used as props.
The “Fear The Okra” campaign officially launched on December 15, 2011 with the release of the first 30-second commercial “Don’t Get Smacked” where the Fighting Okra was introduced to the world when a student decided to make the bold choice of eating fried okra in the Dining Hall. Since then, three other videos have been launched; all featuring humorous student altercations with the mascot, and all gathering national acclaim. Numerous blogs and sites that have covered the Fighting Okra include SB Nation, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, ESPN, and MSN NOW.
In addition to the national attention, the campaign was recently recognized during the University’s annual community recognition luncheon with a “Students’ Choice Special Recognition Award
“The response has been extraordinary! With the assistance of our students, we have been able to introduce Delta State University to a new audience and promote the university on a national level,” said Roberts. “The positive momentum of the videos is exciting, and viewers will soon see them airing regularly on television as well as on YouTube. The newest commercial premiered Monday [March 5] and there are more adventures for the Fighting Okra and Delta State students in the coming weeks. We encourage everyone to check out FeartheOkra.com to join in.”
