EAST LANSING, Mich. — The City of East Lansing has partnered with Michigan State University’s Integrated Campaigns (ADV 486) class to launch a bracket challenge, titled “Mask Madness,” to coincide with the NCAA basketball tournament.
The “Mask Madness” Bracket Challenge invites community members to take a photo of themselves wearing a mask in front of a downtown East Lansing business or landmark and send the photo via direct message to the City’s Instagram account.
The first 64 photos sent to the City will be paired up, placed in a bracket and compete tournament-style on the City’s Instagram story. Each pairing will be posted on the City’s Instagram story with a poll, asking users to choose their favorite photo. The photo that receives the most votes will advance to the next round.
Students in the ADV 486 class were assigned to a project team and tasked with developing several challenges for the City to consider implementing as part of the “Daytime. Nighttime. Anytime. Place Project” (Place Project). The “Mask Madness” Bracket Challenge was created by advertising majors Hailey Byers, Clay Gilling, Elly Hagan, Shannon Reilly, Tahsuan (Daniel) Ting, Ella Signs, Justen White and Chloe Worden.
The tournament will continue with daily polls until one photo advances through each round and receives the most votes in the championship round. The winner of the “Mask Madness” Bracket Challenge will receive a $350 Downtown East Lansing eGift Card, courtesy of the East Lansing Downtown Development Authority (DDA).
"It's been a real pleasure for my Integrated Campaigns classes to partner with the City of East Lansing on their "Daytime. Nighttime. Anytime. Place Project" initiative,” said Integrated Campaigns Professor Louis Louis Schiavone III. “My students have been able to flex their creative muscle and being part of an effort to bring more and more people back to East Lansing is tremendously meaningful to them."
The “March Madness” Bracket Challenge is sponsored by the DDA and is part of the Place Project, which aims to engage community members in East Lansing’s economic recovery process; promote safe behaviors; and market downtown East Lansing, downtown businesses and the Downtown East Lansing eGift Card Program.
Community members can learn more about the challenge at https://arcg.is/0WfW450.