There’s a good chance that if you drive down the highway, you might recognize some fellow classmates on the new Oakland University billboards.

OU has released new billboards and advertisements for the new school year as it continues to encourage current and potential future students to “Aspire to Rise.” The billboards feature real OU students in classroom and other locations on campus. 

“We used real students because our marketing platform is based on authenticity. Real students, real faculty and real shots of Oakland University,” said John Young, Associate Vice President of Communications and Marketing.

Jeff Cox and Bria Brown are two of the students that are featured on the billboards. Cox and Brown were interns for the communication and marketing department at OU and happened to be on the set of the photo shoot.

“It honestly just kind of happened,” Brown said. “We were just filling in and weren’t thinking we were going to be on the billboard, but it’s pretty awesome that we did.”

Cox is a senior and communication major, while Brown is a junior and journalism major. They both were on the Social Media Street Team last semester, which led them to the internship.  

Brown says she found out while driving on I-75 going north near 14 mile and noticed that the girl on the billboard was wearing a similar shirt that she owned. When she realized it was her, she couldn’t contain her excitement.

“People come up to me now and say, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re OU Famous!’” Brown said.

The billboards featuring Cox and Brown can be found on I-75 and even on I-94 West heading to Chicago.

“At first they said I was on one, then my mom drove past another one last week, and I just found out that I’m on a third one,” Cox said.

Both are enjoying the sudden campus fame, especially since neither of them had expected to be on the advertisements.

“I would always drive by the Oakland University billboards on 75 and wish that’d be me one day,” Cox said. “Well I guess like Disney, dreams do come true.”