Citadel + City of Chicago
-Copywriting-
Print ad that ran in the Chicago Tribune celebrating Chicago’s high school graduates in 2020.
Project: Here’s to You, Class of 2020 – One-Page Print Ad
At the height of the pandemic, the Class of 2020 graduated into a world unlike any before it. No prom. No cap toss. No crowded auditoriums echoing with applause. In Chicago, with schools shuttered and ceremonies cancelled, the city still found a way to honor its high school seniors. In partnership with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Citadel team, the city hosted a televised graduation ceremony featuring Oprah Winfrey as the commencement speaker. The moment was powerful. The ad needed to match it.
The Copy
I crafted a one-page print ad that captured both the gravity of the moment and the spirit of celebration. A tribute to resilience — and to making history on live television.
With clear, uplifting language and elegant restraint, the copy saluted the Class of 2020 — not for what they missed, but for what they overcame.