The new West Virginia University Parkersburg (WVUP) web site, produced by Image Associates, went live on August 16, 2013, just in time for the first week of their fall semester.  Built on WordPress, the site represents a vast improvement over what they had before.  Their previous site was entirely static, with html pages being added as needed – no database backend and no central management system.  It grown over the years to a include hundreds of individual pages, many of which had languished and stagnated.

Image Associates provided a fresh, modern graphic design coupled with advanced features and functionality catering to the needs of a higher education institution.

Features of the WVUP site include:

• A responsive design that allows the site to display properly on mobile devices without the need for a special mobile site.
• WVUP administrators have complete control over the site’s header images, allowing them to provide a selection of images on a per section basis which the site displays randomly at each page refresh.  This provides a unique bit of visual interest for the users while maintaining a level of design integrity.
• Additionally, section icons can also be controlled and modified by WVUP personnel within the content management system.  These icons help users maintain a sense of where they are within the site and provide a visual representation of the topics being displayed from page to page.
• A complete Events Management feature, with visual calendars and event lists on the front end allows WVUP administrators granular control over their upcoming events, with the ability to display only those events that are relevant to a particular sub-section of the site.
• An FAQ management system to maintain a database of Frequently Asked Questions, which can be divided into categories for display on relevant pages and can accept new questions directly on the FAQ page.
• A Staff Directory feature for managing and displaying contact information based on department.
• A Downloads manager that creates a central repository of all the vast numbers of files needed by students, faculty and administrators in the course of running a university.
• Google Maps integration for locations and directions.
• A customized backend interface designed to make site management as simple and easy as possible.
• An improved page management system to more easily track the site’s 250+ pages.
• A “mega-menu” navigation system that provides quick access to all those pages for users.
• The site makes extensive use of the jQuery Javascript library, but also functions well without Javascript if necessary.

The response to the new design has been positive, and the rollout has been featured in the local media.

Dancers Rehearse

What do an adorable little girl, two disgruntled moving men, four square dancers, a frazzled family and an eighties rocker have in common? They are all part of two TV spots created by iA to promote the West Virginia Housing Development Fund’s new “Movin Up” home loan program. The program was designed for existing homeowners who want to move up to a larger home or are just ready for a change.

The first of the two comedy spots titled Get Movin’ depicts a family who must wait in line as a teen daughter monopolizes their home’s only bathroom. “Nothing could be more to the point or funnier.” said iA’s Carl Varney, the spot’s creator. “These folks really need a larger home.”

In the second spot called Change male and female characters who “change with the times, change their minds and finally change places” thanks to a “Movin’ Up” home loan.

“We’re grateful that the Fund let us run with our ideas for these spots. It’s not every day an institutional client has the vision and the courage to use comedy to promote a financial product,” said director Bill Hogan.

The spots premiered on TV stations across the state in February and met with immediate, positive feedback. George Gannon, the Fund’s Communications Manager reported unprecedented traffic on the Fund’s Facebook page and web site within twenty-four hours of posting the “Movin’ Up” spots. Patti Shamblin, a loan origination manager with the Fund, reports increased phone traffic since the spots began airing.

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A new thirty-second Frontier Communications spot produced by iAproductions for West Virginia markets has been picked up for use by multiple Frontier regional business units. The spot titled Best Gift Ever employs kinetic typography and animation to herald Frontier’s holiday customer promotion. The spot offers customers a $450 Apple gift card as an incentive to sign up for Frontier’s “Triple Play” package for phone, TV and internet service.

This is the second spot produced by iAproductions for Frontier that utilizes an animation technique known as kinetic typography.  Kinetic typography involves the creation of blocks of text, animated in sync with speech and music, that convey a particular idea or emotion.  It’s first recognized use was during the opening credits of Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest in 1959.  iAproductions previously employed this technique on a grander scale to promote Frontier Communications’ “Custom Value Pricing” promotion.

Response to the spot in West Virginia broke sales records and Frontier’s home office immediately took notice and requested the spot be adapted for use throughout the Frontier system of twenty-eight states. According to iA’s Creative Director Bill Hogan, “The spot was so successful that Frontier requested the spot be retooled for extended use following the promotion.” Hogan went on to say, “It’s been a pleasure to work with Frontier’s Southeastern region marketing team and we are grateful to them for providing us with the opportunity to ‘go national’ with the gift card spot. For us it’s the Best Gift Ever!”

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