Georgetown University, one of the nation's leading academic and research institutions located in Washington, DC, was looking to celebrate the holidays with their online community and help students de-stress during final exams. On campus, the weeks leading up to Christmas are quiet, so opportunities to engage students, alumni, staff and faculty on social channels are minimal. As a Catholic and Jesuit institution, Georgetown needed a way to bring their community together in the spirit of Christmas and sought to incorporate one of the community's favorite characters to do it- their live bulldog mascot, Jack the Bulldog.
On Wednesday, December 21st, one of the final days of the fall semester, Georgetown University executed a live "Yule Dog" on Facebook featuring the live bulldog mascot, Jack the Bulldog. Jack the Bulldog is a beloved figure on campus who has a reputation for spending his days napping or lethargically eating snacks. While he has several social appearances on campus each day, we knew that a majority of our student population had only encountered him online through social media. We also knew that our community would enjoy a window into the mascot's everyday life through a live animal cam, especially with the added comedy of Jack's lack of activity on camera (just like a yule log video).
The location for the live video was in Georgetown's Alumni House in front of a fireplace where students and alumni gather. We created a cozy space for Jack to sit and nap on and began streaming him live onto the Georgetown University Facebook page. Over the course of the 30 minute video, viewers were able to watch Jack as he napped and pondered his bulldog life aside the fire while holiday music played. At the conclusion of his 30-minute nap, we repackaged the video and released it on our various social media channels so that Georgetown students, staff, faculty and alumni could enjoy the warmth of the Yule Dog during their holiday celebrations at home. The video was cross-promoted on various platforms through the use of a Yule Dog graphic with a hand-drawn Jack the Bulldog Santa.
The live Yule Dog garnered over 47,000 views and 1.8K likes. There were 381 shares of the video on the platform and 202 comments ranging from laughter at Jack's supposed boredom to holiday well-wishes. Students were able to take a break from their finals to engage with a brand asset that is a personification of the Georgetown community. Alumni reminisced about their time on campus while staff and faculty celebrated the upcoming opportunity to spend the holidays with their friends and family. The live Yule Dog was holiday content that was able to attract every key piece of the Georgetown Audience to celebrate Christmas in an inclusive (and adorable) way.
