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Andy DeVito of Ohio State is in his 16th year at Ohio State where he serves as director, creative services & branding for his alma mater
by Barb Kowal – College Sports Communicators, Director of Professional Development & External Affairs
Andy DeVito is in his 16th year of athletic department service at his alma mater, The Ohio State University. Beginning his professional OSU career in 2007 as a graphic designer after graduating with a degree in visual communications design, he currently serves as the Director, Creative Services and Branding, for the Buckeyes’ athletic department. In 2021, DeVito was honored with an OSU Athletics Department Excellence Award.
A big advocate of CSC’s rebranding initiatives, Andy discusses his work at OSU, trends in social and digital media, and how OSU athletics has embraced the CSC All-In Memberships for its extensive communications, creative and digital staff members.
At the 2022 Creative Con event with other OSU staff and student designers: Danny Kraft, Carson Reider, DeVito, Corey Favor, Sammy Silverman, Chris Charizopoulos.
For the last 15+ years, you’ve been working at your alma mater since graduation (in 2007). What’s it like to contribute to your alma mater and help shape the visual and branding direction of Ohio State athletics?
AD: It’s wild to think I’ve been here that long. Starting as a student working with the creative team, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the sports industry. My passion has always been athletics, growing up playing sports with my brothers and continuing through high school. Once I discovered graphic design, those two worlds collided and brought me where I am today, leading a team of creatives and shaping one of the most recognizable brands in collegiate athletics.
Every day is different and every day there’s a new opportunity to connect with our audience and build a stronger connection with our student-athletes, and that’s what keeps me motivated. Many of my family are alumni and I’ll never get tired of seeing the smile on my grandma’s face any time she asks me about work. I make sure to take time to reflect on how fortunate I am to work for a place that truly cares about its people, has a rich tradition, and strives for excellence every day.
What are some of your most proud professional accomplishments, most successful campaigns?
AD: One of my passions is brand identity development. Working at Ohio State, we have multiple initiatives which center around our student-athletes and developing them off the playing field. Each of the initiatives takes on its own identity. Working with colleagues through the design brief and creating a mark and visual toolkit is not only something I enjoy but also impacts a lot of people in a positive way. Buckeye Inclusion, Gene Smith Leadership Institute, Buckeyes Care, LiFEsports, Title IX 50th Anniversary, Coach Beyond, OSUNIL, to name a few — all contribute to a culture of inclusivity and opportunity.
Our most recent campaign (this past year) celebrating 100 years of Ohio Stadium is definitely my favorite and one of our most successful as a department. Leading the discussions back in 2019, this was something we knew we had to get right and lean into all areas of campus to contribute. The storytelling, fan engagement and merchandising led to a celebration all of Buckeye Nation could enjoy. And my kids get a kick out of seeing something their dad made in all the stores, which is a proud dad moment ;)
At an OSU football game with son Aidan.
What interests you most about your role?
AD: Collaborating with peers and learning from the industries best, strategizing and creating completely new content every day, and working with a creative team that is passionate about what they do makes me love coming to work each day. The great Woody Hayes coined the phrase “pay it forward” and that is something I live by. Many great people helped me get where I am today providing guidance and advice to succeed. To pay that forward, I wanted to build a strong student internship program. With the help of my colleagues, especially (lead graphic designer)
Meg Valluri, we developed a program that provides an experience our students can thrive in. As we get older and hopefully wiser, focusing on what truly matters and what truly impacts people is my priority. Guiding young minds is something I enjoy and interests me most about my role.
How do you keep up with social media trends and how do you strategize on what platforms and trends are most valuable to the Ohio State brand?
AD: We have a strong digital media team led by
Pat Kindig, our Associate AD, Digital Assets. They are the experts in this space. I take the lead from him when we identify the best approach to build our brand presence on social. We are also diving into data analytics to make more intentional decisions about our audiences and how we communicate and connect with them. These workflows will help us produce better work by providing real time reports we can use to segment our messaging to specific demographics.
With one of the largest alumni bases around the world, we constantly monitor the digital industry to ensure we’re meeting our audience where they are and creating a seamless interaction.
DeVito has coached his son’s travel basketball and baseball teams for the past six years. Here, at a baseball game (L to R): DeVito’s father, daughter Addy, wife Abby and son Aidan.
With branding and messaging, I’m interested in your thoughts about CoSIDA rebranding to College Sports Communicators, the expansion of membership to include creatives and communicators, and the new visual looks for CSC.
AD: Refreshing a brand is always exciting. You need to do it for the right reasons, and I think this was the perfect time for CoSIDA. I had the opportunity to chat with (Director of Creative Services) Beau White after the rebrand was announced and he provided great insight on the process and need for the new look as well as the need to expand the membership. It’s always important to take a step back and evaluate your team/company and identify any gaps. What are you doing well (celebrate those successes), and what can you improve on?
I believe CoSIDA identified a gap and realized communicators have evolved and are more than the typical SID. They, along with a creative/digital media team, are the primary voice and visual presence for our programs and building a strong brand is imperative with the visual society we live in. So, I’m excited to see the growth of CSC along with the new, bold, simplified mark.
Ohio State has one of the largest memberships in CSC now, with nearly 30 individuals in communications. Talk about why OSU adopted the All-In Membership approach to add staffer working in digital, on the football creative staff, video, creative services?
AD: We have a great group of content creators who are passionate about what they do and always looking to get better. Now that CSC includes creatives and is building a stronger presence in this space, we see this as an opportunity to grow our network and connect with like-minded people. The value of a creative team (designers, digital media, video/photo, communications) is becoming top-of-mind for many coaches and department leaders and ensuring we have a voice and seat at the table is key. Being a part of an organization such as this provides more ways to engage the collegiate industry and our colleagues across the country to learn more, get better and provide our teams with the best content.
The DeVito family: Andy with his son, Aidan; wife, Abby; and daughter, Addy.
Outside of your OSU responsibilities, what would we find you doing in terms of hobbies, outside interests, etc?
AD: I love to coach. I have coached my son’s travel basketball and baseball teams for the past six years and it’s a blast. Sports are our lives, always doing something or going somewhere as a family. My wife helps coach my daughter’s softball travel team and we recently purchased a camper and take that to all the kid’s tournaments. We love the outdoors and it’s a lot of fun hanging out with the other families at the campgrounds during these tournaments.
What company/team social media accounts do you admire, and why?
AD: We’re starting to see really great work from a lot of collegiate teams, which gets me excited knowing athletic departments are understanding the value of good creative. The University of Oregon and the LA Chargers are two that have a strong brand and visual style…and it doesn’t hurt when you have those colors to work with. ;) Their design is bold and clean and clearly communicates the message.
If you could only have three apps on your smartphone, which would you pick?
AD: Camera, Messages, Maps
If you could trade jobs with someone you know, who would you trade with and why?
AD: A cousin of mine works in the hotel/hospitality industry in Florida recruiting clients and spends most of his time golfing with high profile people. Enjoying nice weather, golfing, and getting paid to do that would be a sweet gig.
What’s the one live sporting event still on your bucket list to see?
AD: NBA All-Star Game
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