This week Nil by Mouth celebrated the tenth year of its partnership with City of Glasgow College through the ‘Pitch Perfect’ project at a special event held in the College’s Cathedral Street Campus.
Nil by Mouth’s Emma Alexander and Dave Scott were joined by previous winners and participants to reflect on both the personal and societal impact of the project which was launched in 2015. That year’s winning entry ‘Kiss Bigotry Goodbye’ went on to be supported by both the Scottish Government and UEFA as well as attracting millions of views and interactions across social media.
Over the past decade more than 1,000 students have designed campaigns aimed at tackling sectarianism in Scotland across a range of settings and platforms including schools, football grounds, dating apps and communities.
Pitch Perfect is an exciting marketing competition which gives higher education students the opportunity to create and design their very own challenging sectarianism awareness campaign whilst also gaining SQA accredited qualifications. The students involved can opt to use cutting edge technologies or more traditional methods of advertising but ultimately, they must produce a campaign which stimulates and generates interest in Nil by Mouth and which raises awareness of the issues that the charity campaigns on. In addition, students get the chance to spend a real budget, plan a campaign and gain invaluable experience pitching to an independent panel of experts. Previous winners include:
• ‘Sectarianism Is a Turn Off’ saw creators draw on the experiences of friends and classmates to discover how the use of sectarian language or posting sectarian content online impacted on a potential love match.
• ‘It’s Not In Your Blood’ was an imaginative campaign with a powerful visual image which sought to remind people that regardless of
colour or creed the same blood flows through all our veins.
• ‘Hate Is Not Art’ focused on the rising problem of hate graffiti across Scotland and provided ways to help the public report instances of it within their communities.
Students have seen their campaigns nominated for accolades such as The Herald’s Higher Education Award – Best Campaign Category and Glasgow City Colleges - Embracing Diversity Competition. Campaigns have been recognised at the Scottish Parliament with MSPs from across the political spectrum signing a motion of praise and all campaigns have received significant coverage in the media.
Amanda McSorley, Curriculum Head, Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations, City of Glasgow College said: ‘"Pitch Perfect" offers students a unique opportunity to work on a campaign that addresses an important and complex issue, engaging them in meaningful and difficult discussions. Over six months, students collaborate with industry professionals and have the opportunity to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical experience. An essential aspect of this is presenting their campaign ideas to a panel of industry experts, which fosters key meta-skills like adaptability, resilience, and effective communication. These skills are invaluable, enhancing students’ professional confidence by gaining experience of pitching to industry experts and answering unexpected questions in a professional setting outwith the normal college environment. As the competition focuses on a challenging topic it empowers students to address socially relevant themes and have a deeper understanding of what sectarianism means and its negative impact. Through working with Nil by Mouth students don’t just leave with heightened employability skills, they gain motivation, confidence and a professional insight into marketing practices. The experience shapes them as professionals and human beings, providing the assurance that they can navigate complex issues.’
Nil by Mouth’s Emma Alexander said: ‘It’s been an amazing decade working alongside the college and we are always blown away by the imagination shown by the students taking part and the ideas and concepts they come up with. Not only does this project help us reach new audiences with our message but it has also helped hundreds of students gain academic qualifications and use their skills and talents for social good. We’ve also had amazing support from our judging panels and guest speakers all of whom provide their time free of charge to support our cause. The students and staff involved are a credit to the College and the city and we can’t wait to see what they come up with in 2025.’
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