Emojis Now Available for Iowa's Universities

December 28, 2016 - Ames, Iowa - Emoji keyboards and sticker packs for Iowa's universities launched in the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores today, making them available for free to fans globally.

Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, the University of Northern Iowa and Drake University's apps will launch December 26, 2016.

The launch marks the first time emojis have been available for students, alumni and friends of Iowa's universities. Each app features the official university trademarks, logos, and traditions of the university such as mascots, landmarks and quirks of the campus culture.

Model Farm, a student-run creative services agency based in Ames, produced the apps in partnership with Fareway Food Store and said emoji use is a recognizable business trend in social communication.

"We work hard every day to expose our student team members to new and exciting business trends," said Lawrence Cunningham, General Manager of Model Farm. "The messaging space is an increasingly relevant medium for our audience and the development of these emojis was a great opportunity to extend learning beyond the scope of our traditional platforms. Plus, they were incredibly fun projects for our students to work on, so it was a win-win for our business."

"Our goal is to keep top student talent in Iowa, and the emojis were a great opportunity for us to continue expanding our support of experiential learning opportunities for students," said Jeff Stearns, VP of Marketing and Sales for Fareway. "We're proud to assist in retaining top student talent across the state of Iowa. With the launch of our new website, we're increasing engagement with our customers in the digital space and it's exciting to see ideas like this come from students."

Stearns said the project was a perfect fit for the company, which has a track record of success working with students. Last year, Fareway worked with undergraduates at the Iowa State University College of Design to develop the brand of its new wholesale business, Midwest Quality Wholesale.

The apps are available now for download in the iTunes and Google Play stores.

Fareway Stores, Inc. is a growing Midwest grocery company currently operating 116 store locations in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota. Fareway holds family values in the highest regard, demonstrating integrity, fairness, and honesty in relationships with customers, employees, vendors, and suppliers. Visit www.Fareway.com for more information.

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