About the Project
The Objective
Our Approach
Creative Direction
VOTE LOCAL was self-initiated by Céleste in response to the removal of A&T's on-campus voting site an infrastructure decision that disproportionately impacted student voter access at one of the largest HBCUs in the country.
Rather than treat civic engagement through traditional political frameworks, Céleste built the campaign as a cultural intervention: a coalition-based visual language rooted in community stakeholders, DIY materials, and creative expression as protest.
Voting is often positioned as inaccessible or uninteresting by design.
Our goal was to reframe civic engagement as culturally relevant and community-driven, while responding to the removal of A&T’s on-campus voting site, a decision that directly threatened HBCU voter participation and demanded a visible stance.
The project was developed without a client fee. It was made because it needed to exist.
To activate campus-wide participation, we partnered with influential student groups across A&T, including Student Government Association, Divine Nine organizations, creatives, athletes, and traditional student leaders.
Together, we created a unified call-to-action using hand-crafted cardboard signage designed to spark conversation, visibility, and urgency around local elections.
Shot at the center of campus, known as “The Stu,” the campaign met students exactly where they gather.
Drawing inspiration from street-style protest visuals, each organization was given a custom tagline that reflected its voice while maintaining a shared message.
The imagery was captured across familiar campus spaces to ensure the work felt organic, immediate, and distinctly A&T-coded.
Inspired by the Sign Guy NYC, we created call-to-action signage using locally sourced cardboard from Aldi, cutting and reworking the material to transform something ordinary into a visual statement.
The use of cardboard was intentional, grounding the campaign in authenticity and immediacy, allowing the message to feel real, accessible, and unfiltered while reinforcing the urgency and honesty behind civic engagement.
Concept, Creative Direction, and Production by Cameron Elyse for Céleste Studios, in partnership with the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement at North Carolina A&T State University.
Inspired by the Sign Guy NYC, we created call-to-action signage using locally sourced cardboard from Aldi, cutting and reworking the material to transform something ordinary into a visual statement.
The use of cardboard was intentional, grounding the campaign in authenticity and immediacy, allowing the message to feel real, accessible, and unfiltered while reinforcing the urgency and honesty behind civic engagement.
Our Approach
To activate campus-wide participation, we partnered with influential student groups across A&T, including Student Government Association, Divine Nine organizations, creatives, athletes, and traditional student leaders.
Together, we created a unified call-to-action using hand-crafted cardboard signage designed to spark conversation, visibility, and urgency around local elections.
Creative Direction
Shot at the center of campus, known as “The Stu,” the campaign met students exactly where they gather.
Drawing inspiration from street-style protest visuals, each organization was given a custom tagline that reflected its voice while maintaining a shared message.
The imagery was captured across familiar campus spaces to ensure the work felt organic, immediate, and distinctly A&T-coded.
Results
VOTE LOCAL reached over 200,000 views and 10K+ likes across social platforms, amplified by the official North Carolina A&T channels making it one of the most visible civic engagement moments on the A&T campus during the 2024 municipal election cycle.
The campaign did not succeed in reversing the removal of the on-campus voting site. But it succeeded in making the decision culturally undeniable by documenting the community response, building a coalition-based visual record, and establishing a template that has since served as a backbone for other civic and community-rooted work.
Impact
01
200K+ organic reach across social platforms
02
10K+ engagement through university-amplified distribution
03
Coalition-based approach engaging SGA, Divine Nine organizations, athletes, and student creatives
04
Established Céleste's methodology for community-rooted civic campaigns
05
Continues to serve as reference material for subsequent civic and cultural strategy work
Credits
Directed: @cameronnelyse
Executive Producer: @cameronnelyse
Producer: @khadiiibae_
Art Direction: @n0msss_
Lead Photographer: @glory4tune
Talent: @mylakarrington @ariananicole @1of1jaii_@solohayesbrown @bc.kaleb @nolimitspencee@jadenjohnson @kaipierree @milesofthesun @coreylamar@9figurezz @tajunoo @n0msss_ @miyahola @llena.tanii@wavyy.keon @bryceferebee @jasmine.emani @_k.moraaaa@ayoomiles @ahmad_blari @nckallen @dcdaviss @yvito_j
Editor: @cameronnelyse
Production: @celestestudiosglobal
Reflections
VOTE LOCAL reinforced that civic engagement does not need to exist within traditional frameworks to be effective. By leveraging creativity, collaboration, and community networks, the project demonstrated how art and culture can be powerful tools for shifting narratives and mobilizing real change.
