Schools
Student Creativity Inspires Liberty Dining Promotion
A student's hit track inspires a campus coffee promo, blending music, marketing, and dining at Liberty.
LYNCHBURG, VA - When Liberty University student Solomon Rivers released his original song, “Iced White Chocolate Mocha,” two months ago, he likely didn’t anticipate how quickly it would take off. What began as a creative expression soon became a campus sensation, with students streaming the track, sharing it on social media, and singing the chorus across campus.
The song’s playful nod to a favorite coffee order resonated immediately. Liberty Dining, operated by Sodexo, recognized the momentum and saw an opportunity to build on a moment students were already embracing.
Initially, the team planned to collaborate with Rivers on a social media reel featuring the campus Starbucks location before Christmas Break. Winter weather delayed filming, but once students returned for the spring semester, the collaboration came together. The finished reel, shared on Instagram, captured the energy surrounding the song and the campus response. (View the post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUogouqDibN/?hl=en)
From there, Liberty Dining expanded the concept into a limited-time retail promotion. From February 1–14, the team hosted a special Happy Hour from 3–5 p.m., offering a Venti Iced White Chocolate Mocha for the price of a Grande. The featured drink matched the one celebrated in Rivers’ lyrics, creating a direct connection between student artistry and campus dining. The promotion was supported across social media and on-campus marketing channels, including this campaign post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUQluOOADmV/?hl=en
To amplify the collaboration, Liberty Dining designed and displayed promotional posters featuring Rivers across campus. The campaign connected music, marketing, and retail in a way that felt authentic to the student experience.
Rivers said the collaboration showed how creativity can spark connection.
“I think collaborations like this matter because they bring students together,” he said. “They also give artists a real opportunity to share their work and connect with the campus in a bigger way.”
For Liberty Dining, the initiative reflects a commitment to recognizing student talent and turning organic campus moments into engaging experiences. By elevating a song students were already loving, the team transformed a trending track into a shared event that energized retail dining and strengthened campus connections.
What began as a song evolved into a campus-wide experience — one shaped by student creativity and strengthened through collaboration.
This is a paid post contributed by a Patch Community Partner, a local brand partner.. The views expressed in this post are the author's own, and the information presented has not been verified by Patch. To learn more, click here.