Columbia College Alumni More Visible Than Ever

/News Release Agency - CollegePressReleases.com/ It's not uncommon to see our alumni around the Chicago area, but alums are popping up around town a great deal more these days — on city trains, buses, and online sites as well as a few billboards. This increased visibility is part of a summer ad campaign, demonstrating the power of a Columbia College Chicago education by spotlighting select alumni who have reached exceptional levels of achievement in their fields.

The ads, which started appearing in early July, feature seven alumni in solo photos with their notable honor or job title such as Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Pablo Martinez ('94) or WGN-TV and radio entertainment critic Dean Richards ('76).

The comprehensive campaign targets a broad audience, splashing notable alumni faces and the Columbia brand to thousands of readers of The Chicago Tribune, the local edition of the New York Times, and program books for highly attended events such as the Ravinia Festival. It also is grabbing attention on Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses, “El” platforms and trains in addition to a massive digital billboard that rotates several alumni ads regularly at the a downtown Ogilvie Metra commuter railway station.

The visibility also reaches drivers on some of the busiest roadways in the Midwest. HBO Films President Len Amato ('75) can be spotted on a downtown billboard at Clark Street and Grand Avenue. The face of “Avatar” Oscar-winning cinematographer Mauro Fiore ('87) rises above traffic at the junction of the Kennedy and the Edens Expressways. Tony winner Tonya Pinkins' (97) smile beams along the Stevenson Expressway. Drivers along the I-194 Tri-State Tollway catch a glimpse of CNN Senior Vice President Parisa Khosravi ('87) on their way to the northwest suburbs.

The campaign runs through September with online ads running throughout the fall. You can also check out information on this sampling of our outstanding alumni at colum.edu/success.