Everyone who lives or works in the palm of Michigan’s mitten can agree: Whether you’re a Spartan or not, Michigan State University becomes a big part of your life. Being close to a Big Ten university has its distinct advantages, from the obvious (sporting events), to the academic (lecture series and libraries), to the hidden gems (the Moist Towelette Museum in the planetarium). 

At Redhead, we’ve had the privilege of working with many departments, offices, and colleges at MSU on a variety of projects over the years. Over time, we have become well-versed in all things MSU. We can spot the difference between Spartan Green, Kelly Green, and Excellence Green from a mile away. We know there’s a world of difference between Modern Sparty, Gruff Sparty, and Young Sparty. And, yes, the font shift from Gotham to Metropolis rocked our world. 

You see, MSU’s brand isn’t just a brand. It’s a machine. A well-oiled, optimized system with defined standards and a structured approach that helps partners like us deliver products and ideas that are on-point, all the time. So grab a bowl of Dairy Store ice cream, find a comfy patch of grass in the shade of Beaumont Tower, and take a look back at just a few of the projects we’ve worked on with MSU groups in Redhead’s lifetime. 

MSU Alumni Office

An audience of alumni, who already know the ins and outs of MSU, requires special attention. Through our ongoing partnership with the MSU Alumni Office, we’ve provided support, design, and collateral development for projects that unite and inspire the alumni community, with an emphasis on Spartans’ global impact. We developed a brand for Sparty himself, had a blast brainstorming themes for Homecoming, have helped craft the stories behind some of the Alumni Grand Awards winners, and more. Through the Sparty’s Kind Kids, we got to adventure into playful, youth-oriented design to partner little ones with volunteers across the alumni community.  

Eli Broad College of Business at MSU

Creating a website for the Eli Broad College of Business at MSU was a journey in aligning digital presence with academic excellence. Together with the client, we were able to condense 20+ sites with 1,000+ pages down to one cleaner, more effective, and efficient presence. Working within MSU’s digital branding standards helped guide us in creating a cohesive, accessible, and visually appealing site that accurately represented the college’s prestige and innovative spirit. The Broad brand is bold, confident, and professional, and we work to incorporate this tone through our written and designed materials. 

MSU Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Our work with the MSU Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology involved developing a website that was both informative and accessible. The challenge was to present a wealth of complex, scientific information in a clear and engaging manner. By leveraging MSU’s web design standards, we created a site that not only met the department’s needs but also adhered to the university’s high standards for accessibility and usability.

MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

MSU’s work is not limited to its academic units; countless community-centric projects and departments exist to extend MSU’s vision and values across the region and the state. The “Grow More” campaign, led by the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems’s Farm to Early Care and Education initiative, aims to help children ages birth-5 years and their families eat more local foods by offering resources and connections for child care providers, programs, and preschools. Our social marketing efforts focused on raising awareness and encouraging participation through creative engagement channels. By adhering to MSU’s brand standards, we crafted a campaign that was both compelling and consistent with the initiative’s broader goals of sustainability and community service.

MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Working with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at MSU, we expanded our knowledge of MSU’s long-spanning history. As the oldest college at MSU, the department had a rich tone and brand that had been molded over time. (Centuries, even.) We led development of their publication, “In the Field,” including creative direction for their innovative covers, content development, and the publication’s name. Considering agriculture's pivotal role in MSU history, we were honored to be a part of this undertaking. 

MSU College Advising Corps

For the MSU College Advising Corps, we supported website design and development, creative direction for photography, and social media management. This holistic approach ensured that all elements were cohesive and aligned with the College Advising Corps’s voice and tone. The result? A dynamic online presence that emphasized the organization’s key selling point: Its dedicated people, and their mission to make a difference by helping high school students pursue postsecondary education pathways. 

Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives at MSU

The “No Excuse” campaign we developed for the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives at MSU got serious about the topic of sexual assault on college campuses, and included creative approaches for addressing this conversation among a student audience. Campaigns that put a university’s values to work like this help demonstrate the big-picture value of a college education, and the critical learning that occurs outside the classroom. 

Through these experiences and more with our friends at MSU, we’ve developed quite the green thumb. This might be surprising when you learn that, ironically, our office is made up of alumnus across the spectrum of Michigan colleges and universities. We represent a slew of mascots including, but not limited to, a Wildcat, a Wolverine, a Lion, a CMU Chippewa, a Peacock, Stars, a Klondike, a Warrior — and, of course, a handful of Spartans. Still, it seems like this disproportionately wide variety of degrees has worked to our advantage by bringing in a slew of new perspectives. Working with higher education clients, especially those of MSU’s size, thinking out of the box is key. With new perspectives and fresh ideas, we relish any opportunity to align ourselves with groups at MSU to help drive forward the University’s strategic vision and impact.