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Syracuse students to debut ad campaign on city buses

Syracuse.com


JAMES MORGAN, a freelancer hired by Normal Communications, of Rochester, works on wrapping a bus with a promotion for the Syracuse City School District. The students featured on the bus are (from left) Kelty Tippo, Nottingham High School; Sasha Smith, Henninger (holding Kelty's picture); and Amber Jackson, of Nottingham. Today, Syracuse school and Centro officials will unveil the latest piece of an image campaign for Syracuse city schools -- a full-size bus wrapped in student faces. (Submitted photograph)

You've seen the posters and you've heard the radio spots. Now, Syracuse students want you to see the Centro bus they designed.

Today, community members will have their first chance to see the latest piece of an image campaign for Syracuse city schools -- a full-size bus wrapped in student faces.

"I never thought I would have my face on anything, definitely not something as big as a bus," Nottingham senior Jaquar Sampson said. "But my face is on posters in all the schools, and my friends see it, so I guess it will be pretty cool to see it on a bus."

During the spring semester, a dozen Syracuse high school students interned at Clear Channel Communications to create their second marketing campaign to counter negative stereotypes of their district. That campaign, "We Are SCSD!," rolled out on posters, Web videos and radio spots.

Then, students decided to take the campaign a step further and decorate a Centro bus, said Harmony Booker, a Henninger social studies teacher who coordinated the student internships at Clear Channel. That bus -- which is wrapped in campaign posters that feature student faces, the district logo, the campaign slogan and the signatures of the 12 student designers -- will run regular Centro routes.

Centro provided the bus, and a number of local companies pitched in to raise the $6,000 needed to put the advertising wrap on the bus, said Joel Delmonico, vice president/market manager for Clear Channel.

Since the design was completed in May, it has been kept secret while Clear Channel worked on graphics details. On Monday, graphic arts firm Normal Communications, of Rochester, wrapped the bus, housed at the Centro bus garage.

Nottingham senior Amber Jackson said she thinks other students will be excited when they finally see it around the city.

"I think people will see the bus and connect with us," she said. "They'll know us, they'll recognize us, and I hope it motivates people to make a difference in their school and work hard."

Two years ago, students launched the first campaign, "Think Again," that aimed to dispel myths of low academic achievement, apathy and violence in city schools.

Both Jackson and Sampson have lived in Syracuse and attended city schools all their lives. They said they have heard people in other schools, including their suburban friends, perpetuating negative stereotypes about their schools and they wanted to counter those ideas.

"People don't realize the opportunities there are here," Jackson said. "We want people to be proud of going to a city school."

Booker said the third phase will begin in February, and students will decide their focus once they begin their three-month internship. Students in Superintendent's Cabinet, who attend all five city high schools, are now applying for the 12 internship spots for the next phase.

Delmonico said the internship has taught his staff more about Syracuse students as well as provided his company with access to the future workforce.

"Every week, I'm at a meeting where we're talking about how kids are leaving the area," he said. "These are kids who are excited about where they live, they're smart, they've motivated, they're diverse. It's healthy for the city, and for the economy of the city, to be working with them."

©2008 Syracuse Online, LLC.