CASE STUDY > LSU Student Health Center
GEAUX
THROUGH IT
A mental health campaign that helps students find strength through their struggles.
The Opportunity
73% of students say school is overwhelming, and 68% are stressed about the upcoming year.
Most LSU students are going through something, but they don’t always understand what they’re experiencing. Students often self-diagnose via social media or peers, using terms casually or inaccurately — blurring the line between everyday stress and clinical need.
The LSU Student Health Center is a primary support resource for students struggling with mental health issues. Structured therapy is an essential part of their work, but many students aren’t ready for that kind of commitment. How could they use social video content to reach students outside of the formal system?
THE INSIGHT
Even when they want help, they often feel stuck.
When students delay care, it’s not always because they’re in denial — it’s because they’re confused, overwhelmed, or afraid of overreacting. They think their distress isn’t “serious” or “valid” — even while experiencing symptoms that meet clinical thresholds. Students with high loneliness or distress are least likely to know what to do or say, which makes it all the harder to get the support they need.
THE INSIGHT
Students want movement on their own terms.
Students describe “coming back from struggle” not as a breakthrough moment, but as a slow, uneven process. Faced with that reality, they are more likely to take action when shown a range of support options, not a single “correct” path. Small, achievable steps — like talking to a friend or learning a new coping skill — are often the true first acts of recovery.
HOW WE MADE IT SIXY
There's a way to "geaux through it."
Many students feel like they’re “going through it” — a phrase that captures everything from emotional overwhelm to academic pressure to personal struggle. We wanted to reframe that phrase as both recognition and invitation. Their struggle is undeniable. But they also have options to help them find their way to the other side.
The campaign encourages students to think about their struggle not as the starting point or the destination — but the messy middle of the journey where things are in motion. By connecting mental health issues with strategies for how students can grow forward, the Student Health Center becomes an active ally with an empowering call to action: “Whatever you’re going through, there’s a way to GEAUX THROUGH IT.”
Whether it’s depression, anxiety, relationship issues, or something else, everyone’s version of the struggle is specific to them. By shifting between multiple student perspectives, we were also able to give emotional range to each issue and break down the feeling of isolation. By presenting individual struggles and then zooming out to the wider campus, the campaign reveals the reality: Students are surrounded by people who can relate — and maybe even help.
How we made it SIXY
Moving through the messy middle.
Our team was able to take advantage of the LSU landscape and architecture, closely following directly behind students as they moved through campus life. The one-point perspective provided a sense of progress — a visual parallel for what it means to “geaux” through it.
CREATING HAPPINESS
Geauxing gold with national recognition.
Our campaign was awarded a Gold Telly award in the Health & Wellness category, as well as a Bronze Telly award in the Motivational & Advice category.
The Gold Telly Award is the highest honor in the competition, exclusively reserved for the top 3% of all winning entries across television and video. It recognizes the highest markers of excellence in a pool of 13,000+ global entries.
