ETSU documentary campaign wins Best in Show

The campaign supporting the release of the heartwarming documentary highlighting the journey of the Marching Bucs – from the band’s return following a 10-year hiatus to its historic appearance in the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – earned East Tennessee State University Best in Show honors in the 2026 Tennessee College Public Relations Association (TCPRA) Communication Awards.

Judges selected ETSU’s documentary as the top entry among 462 submissions in 42 categories from 20 institutions statewide for the awards, which were presented as part of the annual TCPRA Conference, held at the Westin Chattanooga May 21-22.

The campaign to support the release of “The ETSU Marching Bucs: A Comeback Story” included trailers, graphics and captions that were shared not only by the ETSU Office of Marketing and Communications, but also by the university’s colleges, campus leaders, student influencers and members of the Marching Bucs. These efforts resulted in the band’s story reaching far beyond ETSU audiences.

The release itself was an event, with a campus premiere that brought together students, families, alumni, donors, staff and media. A website was built to house the documentary and related content, and marching band members sent handwritten thank-you notes to donors who helped make the trip possible.

In addition to Best of Show and a gold award for the documentary release campaign, ETSU brought home four other gold awards, as well as five silver and two bronze awards.

“It is a privilege to share the inspiring stories of ETSU’s students, faculty and staff,” Jess Vodden, vice president of marketing and communications, said. “I am incredibly proud of the work of our team and thankful for the collaboration of partners across campus, dozens of whom are represented in this award-winning work.”

ETSU’s 2026 TCPRA awards include: