5 questions for ... Ellen Stokes

Ellen Stokes, TU associate vice president for university marketing, talks about two new 60-second documentary-style ads highlighting TU’s relationship with Baltimore’s Cherry Hill neighborhood.

The first ad began airing in mid-January; the second ad will premiere in late February.

What is TU’s goal with the new ads?

The ads are part of our ongoing “Thinking Outside” branding campaign. “Thinking Outside” represents our role as Maryland’s metropolitan university—the way we interact with our community, our region and our state. We’re hoping the ads bring positive attention to the Cherry Hill community as well as raise funding support from external agencies.

What made TU decide to feature its partnership with the Cherry Hill community?

Representatives from our advertising agency (MGH) met with President Caret. They asked him, “What is TU doing right now that is emblematic of its mission as a metropolitan university?” President Caret was clearly enthusiastic about the university’s commitment to the Cherry Hill Learning Zone initiative. The fact that many other people in the TU community feel strongly about this project led MGH to recommend we showcase this work.

What message does TU want to convey with the ads?

When MGH asked President Caret when the project would end, he replied, “It’s not really a project and it doesn’t have an end. It’s a relationship and it will be ongoing.” As a metropolitan university, TU intends to have a long-term connection to the Cherry Hill community. The association does not merely benefit Cherry Hill—TU’s community gains much from this relationship. As the second ad demonstrates, Cherry Hill is providing our students with a setting where they can gain real classroom experience.

Who directed the ad?

We hired Ramona Diaz, a documentary filmmaker who lives in Baltimore. Her film on Imelda Marcos was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival and won a Video Source Award from the International Documentary Association. Ramona spent several weeks hanging out around Cherry Hill, circulating through the neighborhood meeting with people active in promoting the community and getting a feel for the place. She gathered 14 hours of footage to produce two minutes worth of commercials.

Where can people learn more about the Cherry Hill Learning Zone initiative, and how they can help?

Go to TU's Cherry Hill Web site for more information. The first commercial is already posted there, and we’ll post the second ad after it premieres on television.

Story by Stu Zang/Photo of Cherry Hill Elementary School by Kanji Takeno

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