University abuzz with the ‘Buzz About Fuzz’

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said the Best Away Game Ever project was partnering with the UNC athletic department. It has received donations from the department in forms of prizes for a scavenger hunt, but it is not partnering with the department. The story has been amended to reflect this.

Students who have seen Facebook or Twitter references to “The Fuzz” should expect the social media inundation to continue for a few more weeks.

Two sections of a UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication course — one of which is the group behind the Buzz About Fuzz are facing off in a social media war.

Gary Kayye, who teaches “New Media Technology and Its Impact on the Future of Advertising, Marketing, and PR,” has challenged his two classes to compete against each other to create a campaign based solely on social media.

Beginning with no funding, each campaign must incorporate a scavenger hunt that involves the University and plan an event to hold at the end of the campaign.

“It’s all about getting the most engagement in new media technology,” Kayye said, adding that new media technology includes sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.

Both campaigns operate with a code of secrecy, only revealing details about prizes and the event location as the campaigns progress.

“It’s kind of fun to see everyone’s frustration with not knowing because that means they care, and making that connection with people is what we’re all about” said senior Jodie Singer, of the group the Buzz About Fuzz.

Buzz About Fuzz, which revolves around a bucket list-based scavenger hunt called “The FUZZet List,” invites participants to post pictures of themselves completing items on a UNC bucket list on various social media sites until the group’s final event on Nov. 16.

The other class’ project — the Best Away Game Ever — has not yet released the details of its scavenger hunt, but it has revealed that its campaign revolves around an upcoming viewing party for the Nov. 15 football game against the University of Virginia.

Campaign member Leah McCann said she hopes that the campaign will remind students that the football team always needs their support, whether home or away.

Fuzz collaborates with local businesses to supply prizes throughout its campaign, while the Best Away Game Ever has received donations from the UNC Athletics Department.

Campaign members have been speculating who holds the upper hand in the competition.

“We’re more recognized and more talked about, but we have to take that with a grain of salt because we started earlier,” said senior Alex Englehart, of the Buzz About Fuzz.

But McCann is not worried about the Best Away Game Ever’s later start, saying that its scavenger hunt runs on a different schedule.

“I think that the Fuzz class started faster, had a little bit more momentum. But now I think that the Best Away Game Ever has started to catch up,” said Kayye. “I’m afraid that if I pick a winner now I might be wrong.”

The two groups are competing for spots in Kayye’s spring course, “The Branding of Me: How to use New Media Tools to Brand Yourself.”

The team that garners the most interest and participants in its campaign will win, Kayye said. This concept will be quantified through the number of Twitter followers and Facebook likes each campaign receives.

“It’s not just having people come to the event,” said McCann. “It’s getting people excited and getting them involved.

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.