IUSA spends $12K on new advertising vehicle

Big, loud and candy-striped ­– a moving advertisement is about to take on the streets of the IU campus.

This week, the IU Student Association and IUSA Aid, an organization that provides support to student groups by helping them obtain funding, will unveil its new “wrapped bus” which will advertise their services.

The wrap, costing $12,000 and using student funds, was split evenly between IUSA and IUSA Aid.

With the high cost of advertising, IUSA vice president Dan Sloat said he believes it is cutting edge and will prove to be effective.

“We don’t have all the answers,” Sloat said. “If we find that a student has a better ideas, we would love to hear it. We are always open to suggestions.”

Sophomore Katie Spears said she thinks IUSA could’ve spent the money in other ways and found other methods of advertising for much cheaper.

Sloat said students can discuss their ideas with the IUSA executives at a town hall meeting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in State Room East of the Indiana Memorial Union.

The bus is the fourth wrapping to be done along with the WTIU/WFIU radio, SoFa Gallery and the Indiana Memorial Union buses. Perry Maull, operations manager for IU’s campus bus services, said it is important to have these partnerships between Campus Bus Services and IU. He said he thinks it is a great way to get messages out.

The bus design consists of a black background with the signature candy stripes lining the bottom. It features the IUSA logo and the phrase “YOUR student government,” as well as IUSA’s values lined along the top. The opposite side features a hand holding money and explaining what IUSA Aid is.

“We wanted to show students who we are and what we do,” Sloat said. “We wanted to make sure the message was simple and straightforward.”

Members of IUSA and IUSA Aid are hopeful that students will take notice and hopefully get involved or take advantage of their services.

“Most people don’t know that we exist,” said Brian Saligman, director of IUSA Aid. “Our organization is ultimately about the students, and we want them to know that.”

Robin Featherston, IUSA treasurer, took the lead on this advertisement because she said she felt it was a good value for the amount of exposure it would produce.

“The bus will stay like this for 12 months, and it will rotate through all the different campus routes throughout that time.”

Figuring out the design and carrying out the idea was a lengthy process. But, with the help of IU graduate and designer Natasha Swingley from RSN, Ltd, ideas were formed and compromised.

“I met with several representatives from IUSA,” Swingley said.

She said the group was looking for something that made an impact and a statement, choosing from four designs.

While it took 14 hours to apply the vinyl, IUSA representatives are hopeful that will be recognized.

“It is like a big, loud billboard,” Sloat said, “something you really can’t miss.”

With the bus being unveiled this week, IUSA president Luke Fields said he feels it represents what he wants IUSA to be.

“This bus is visual and available,” Fields said. “I would say we are moving forward.”