Black Hills State University earned national recognition in the 2025 Collegiate Advertising Awards (CAA), receiving a Gold Award for the redesign of the BHSU website and a Silver Award for its “Not Too Far from Close to Home” enrollment campaign. This recognition marks BHSU’s second consecutive year of national honors from the CAA program.
The CAA is an elite program recognizing higher education organizations for excellence in communications, marketing, advertising, and promotions of their schools across the nation.
“Being recognized on a national stage is a testament to the talent and creativity behind our work,” said Becca Walters, senior director of Marketing and Communications at BHSU. “The enrollment campaign alongside Fresh Produce and our website redesign shows how BHSU is telling its story authentically and connecting with students in compelling ways.”
The 2025 CAA program received entries from institutions across the United States and Canada, ranging from small colleges to large universities. Submissions were evaluated by a national panel of industry experts and scored on a 100-point scale. BHSU’s entries competed against similar-sized organizations in their specific groups and categories.
BHSU’s website redesign earned a Gold Award, recognizing a score between 95 and 99 and placing it among the top 5% of entries nationwide. The “Not Too Far from Close to Home” campaign, developed in partnership with Sioux Falls-based agency Fresh Produce, earned a Silver Award, placing it in the top 12% of entries with a score between 90 and 94.
“National recognition like this is a proud moment for Black Hills State University and a reflection of the commitment our campus community brings to everything we do,” said BHSU President Steve Elliott. “These awards highlight not only the strong creative work, but how effectively we are sharing the BHSU story and strengthening connections with future students.”
Awards were issued for entries that received top marks from judges, placing them in the top 16% of the nation for advertising excellence. Judging criteria included creativity, layout and design, functionality, message effectiveness, production quality, and overall appeal.
All winners are posted on the Collegiate Advertising Awards website at www.CollegiateAdAwards.com.