EWU 2024 Holiday Video

EWU’s 2024 President’s Holiday Video had a dual job: spread holiday cheer and bring the university’s new brand positioning, The Region’s Polytechnic, to life in a way that felt warm, human, and student-centered.

The video, Where Have All The Acorns Gone?, turned a beloved campus fixture — EWU’s squirrels — into the centerpiece of a playful holiday mystery. The storybook format gave the piece instant warmth and familiarity, while the twist was pure EWU: students using hands-on skills to crack the case.

More than 30 students from across EWU’s four colleges participated over three days of filming, not just as extras, but as the heart of the story. Their involvement made the polytechnic brand tangible, showing applied learning in action rather than just describing it.

A hidden bonus beat extended the fun. After the video appeared to wrap, it shifted into a faux YouTube autoplay moment teasing Holiday Video Outtakes: The Great Eastern Baking Show, a parody built from behind-the-scenes photos of EWU staff in the kitchen. The unexpected ending gave viewers one more reason to smile and share.

In three weeks, the video earned:

• 58,473 views across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
• 243 total hours watched, more than 10 days of watch time
• More than 50% of YouTube viewers in the 18-24 age range

The video was featured in Ken Steele’s 2024 Holiday Special, a higher ed holiday video compilation, and drew enthusiastic responses across EWU’s social channels, including: “This is epic,” “Such a fun video! Made me smile,” “Brilliant,” and “Love it and love EWU.”

The numbers tell one part of the story. More importantly, the video made The Region’s Polytechnic feel real, relatable, and worth watching. With more than 30 student participants, nearly 60,000 views in three weeks, and a majority 18-24 audience on YouTube, the piece connected EWU’s applied learning story with the students, families, alumni, and community members it was built to reach.