Fall 2015 Ebeling PR-ize Awarded

12/15/2015 12:00 AM

By Airin Virgilio ’16

A team of Bradley University public relations students, are awarded the Fall 2015 Ebeling PR-ize™ for the top senior public relations campaign completed this semester. The award was presented at a luncheon on Thursday, December 10 at Weaver Ridge Clubhouse.

Student agency, AuderePR, launched the “Shape Your City” campaign to take an important, yet sensitive issue that is usually hidden behind closed doors and bring it into the light. This campaign aimed to increase the awareness about the significantly high sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates throughout the city of Peoria.

AuderePR is comprised of Caleb Aeschliman (Peoria), Rasheed Habler (Des Plaines, IL) and Brandon Johnson (Montgonery, IL). Students said they chose this topic because there is a need for feasible, evidence-based interventions that support STI risk reductions among the African-American community in Peoria. They cite the 2015 Peoria County Health Report saying “In 2013, the rate of Chlamydia in Peoria County was 1.7 times greater than the United States. In specific zip codes up to 4.9 times greater. The rate of Gonorrhea in Peoria County was 2.7 times greater than the United States; with specific zip codes up to 10.7 times greater.”

The trifecta worked diligently in the community during the fall semester to raise awareness about STI’s and called their campaign Shape Your City. AuderePR paired with CENTRAL ILLINOIS FRIENDS OF PEOPLE WITH AIDS, nonprofit, and Headz Up, for-profit, to succeed in their mission.

The group proactively shed light onto an otherwise hidden topic of sexually transmitted infection rates, which are significantly higher in the Peoria area compared to national rates, especially within the African-American community. The group sought to make a positive impact in the community they’ve grown to know and love.

“I think our campaign did well because this project meant a lot to my group. We all have some type of connection to Peoria that extends beyond Bradley, so we wanted to execute a campaign we felt would impact the community,” Brandon Johnson said.

For the finale of their PR campaign, AuderePR hosted their “Shape Your City” event at the First United Methodist Church in Peoria with a plethora of awareness-raising events. The event featured an expert panel speaking on the importance of sexual reproductive health, on-site STI testing, and free haircuts provided by their partner company, Headz Up.

Over 50 people reportedly attended the “Shape Your City” event with at least 20 individuals participating in on-site STI testing. Media coverage included WEEK, WMBD, WHOI, WYZZ, POWER FM 92.3 FM, and WCBU FM 89.9. 

Brandon Johnson shares his inspiring moments of the project.  

“One of the highlights of the project was sitting down with one of our clients, who was diagnosed with HIV, and discussing how the disease doesn’t have to be a death sentence if people have the proper education. This gave me the passion I needed to be fully invested in the campaign. It turned it into more than just a project, but a true act of philanthropy for a city I have come to love.”

The Ebeling PR-ize™ was conceived by Bradley alumnus Chuck Ebeling and faculty member Dr. Ron Koperski in 2004, and is a competitive program among Bradley’s senior public relations students in their capstone course. Students form “agency” teams and are responsible for planning and implementing a real, coordinated public relations campaign on behalf of a local business and a compatible community service organization. Campaign submissions and judging criteria are based on the nationally recognized Silver Anvil Award competition administered by the Public Relations Society of America.

Ebeling served as a public affairs officer in the Army and later held public relations positions with several major agencies and national corporations before joining McDonald’s Corporation, where he rose to the position of chief spokesman and vice president of corporate communications. A 1966 graduate of Bradley, he was inducted into the University’s Centurion Society in October in recognition of his achievements in business, public life, and his profession.