LSU College of Engineering: Code IT Up Challenge

In 2013, Louisiana State University announced an initiative to grow their number of computer science graduates in order to fulfill growing industry demand. To engage prospective students interested in computer science, we created the Code IT Up Challenge, an innovative student recruitment campaign. 

At the center of the Code IT Up Challenge is a terminal-based game that requires students to navigate a server and unlock clues. Through the course of the game, students learn various technologies that are used in everyday programming. It drew hundreds of interested, high-quality students to LSU. We conceptualized and built the game from scratch. We also built a web-based content management system to contain the written content and videos that went along with the recruitment campaign.

The recruitment campaign ran for two years. The campaign won numerous awards, including Best in Show, two gold, and three silver ADDY awards; a platinum and two gold awards at the MarCom Awards; a platinum and gold award at the AVA Digital Awards; and an Award of Distinction and Award of Excellence at the Videographer Awards.