Austin Peay State University – Honoring Veterans on Campus

The complete story

How the program came together

1. 01

   Opportunity

   The Office of Veterans Education Benefits wanted to recognize Austin Peay's large military and veteran community for Veterans Day. Standard giveaway items did not reflect the significance of the occasion. The office needed branded pieces that carried school pride and acknowledged service at the same time, that felt worth keeping rather than worth discarding, and that could be sourced and decorated on a campus calendar without adding coordination work for a small team.

2. 02

   Strategy

   Club Colors worked directly with the Office of Veterans Education Benefits to understand what recognition should feel like on this campus. Rather than selecting from a generic catalog, the Brand Advisor curated a short list where each item carried both practical use and symbolic weight, and where every piece connected back to the university's identity and its commitment to veterans. Sourcing and decoration were planned together so the assortment read as one coherent program instead of unrelated giveaways.

3. 03

   Solution

   The final assortment paired meaning with everyday utility. A custom challenge coin carried the school mascot and the message "Thank you for your service." A branded umbrella used the university's "Let's Go Peay!" slogan. A Basecamp journal was selected in part because a portion of every purchase supports the Wounded Warriors Project. Club Colors handled sourcing, custom decoration, and coordination across the three items so the office received one program rather than three separate orders.

4. 04

   Outcome

   The program gave the university a consistent, on-brand way to recognize its veteran community, with each item connecting recognition back to school identity. Choosing pieces with practical use and symbolic meaning gave recipients something tied to campus life rather than a one-time handout. Coordinating sourcing and decoration through a single Brand Advisor gave the office one point of contact, and the assortment provides a repeatable structure the office can return to for future Veterans Day recognition.