This fall semester, student organizations at UW-Milwaukee have turned to chalk art as a means of advertising their club and events.
As students walk across campus, colorful illustrations cover their walkways. These chalk advertisements span locations from the Student Union to outside the Klotsche Center promoting a variety of UWM organizations.
The sidewalk promotions, which include club names, Instagram handles, emails, and event information, help raise awareness about ways to get involved on campus. Clubs present information directly on the ground, allowing students to easily learn about opportunities without having to seek out details. These clubs can strategically place ads near event sites or in high traffic areas. This new form of advertising simplifies the process for students to discover involvement opportunities that interest them.
Chalk art is making student organizations more accessible to everyone on campus.
With its rising popularity, many clubs have turned to this new form of advertising. CHAARG, a health and wellness organization on campus, said, “We love using chalk art because it’s fun to do and people are almost always looking where they are stepping!”
The University Recreation Department has also embraced chalk. “I feel chalking is a great way to bring energy and life to the sidewalks and to campus. It makes it feel like things are happening,” said a UREC marketing specialist.
Students have responded favorably to this form of advertising. UWM students Madelyn Rehfeldt and Ella Gray shared their opinions on the campus chalk art.
“It always catches my attention,” said Rehfeldt.
Gray added, “I personally love the chalk art. I feel like it really adds to the campus community.”
Apart from increasing involvement, chalk art on campus also brightens the school environment. The colorful ads contrast with the gray sidewalks, adding a bit of variation to students’ daily routines. In this way, the chalk art also acts as a mood booster throughout the school day.
Chalk serves as a unique way to connect students to their campus. Everyday, hundreds walk these pathways. By putting information about what’s going on around them on the ground before them, student organizations can reach and impact even more students.
“Students are everywhere on campus so might as well get some news out to them,” said CHAARG.
Clubs are joining in on the chalk art trend, setting up its hopeful longevity at UWM.