We've spent more time on campus than some professors.
We partner with ambitious clients to tell their stories and transform their brands.
We’ve boosted enrollments, celebrated teachers, influenced an election by making education a top issue, and gotten 10 million views of an international student recruitment video. Our work has attracted huge media attention in Canada and beyond.
Over our careers we have created communications for universities, colleges, private schools, teachers’ unions and financial institutions, plus the world-famous Fields Institute. Our offices are even located in a converted public school.
As seen below, our solutions run the gamut from smartly conservative to boldly brash.
Colleges Ontario
Designed to smash a deep-seeded bias in the minds of so many parents – one that viewed Ontario’s colleges as a lesser option to universities – this campaign succeeded far beyond expectation. Despite a limited budget and short run-time, it achieved measurable results in changing public perception. Of course, this success was aided by the fact its initial phase – a seeming launch campaign for a mind-control drug named Obay – garnered massive media coverage and buzz throughout social media that reached well beyond Canada. As predicted by one media outlet, the campaign did soon appear as a case study in marketing textbooks.
“I’ll bet Obay will be used as a textbook example of a flawless, or nearly so, marketing campaign.”
-Moira MacDonald, Education Reporter, Toronto Sun
“It is simultaneously the most subversive, effective and face-smackingly brilliant advertising campaign I have ever seen.”
-Daniel Goldbloom, National Post
“The ads generated a buzz of curiosity across North America, including a mention in Sunday’s New York Times.”
Louise Brown, Education Reporter, Toronto Star
The campaign generated millions of dollars in free coverage that included:
• Multiple National TV news broadcasts
• Every major newspaper in Canada
• The New York Times
• 100’s of online and radio outlets
• Unmeasurable social media buzz
Centennial College
Given its diversity of programs and initiatives, Centennial College requires a broad range of marketing and communication solutions. Below is a sampling of several projects, each requiring its own unique strategy and creative approach.
This brand campaign aimed at high school students foregoes the typical stock-type images of squeaky-clean teens for a more honest – and humorous – portrayal of young people. Even adopting the ‘real kids’ look for the Centennial Course Guide and other student materials, this is an approach that respects its youthful audience enough to celebrate them in all their ragged glory. The campaign’s success is best summed up by a young person’s quote from the post-launch tracking: “Finally, somebody who looks like me!”
The G-20 Summit was headed to Ontario, much to the chagrin of so many who saw it as nothing more than a glorified photo-op with lots of riot police required. We developed the ‘Shadow Summit’ for Centennial, billing it as ‘a kinder, gentler’ summit. An opportunity to discuss and debate many of the issues ignored by the world leaders, this in-person and online event drew major media attention – and attendance by people from all over the world.
The strategic focus of this project was targeted at an older audience that has lost hope when it comes to reinventing themselves. This campaign assures them that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself with Centennial’s Fast Track program.
Simon Fraser University
First impressions are lasting ones. In the case of Simon Fraser University, that impression is made with a clean, elegant brand look that runs through everything from recruitment materials for continuing studies to on-campus signage and student swag.
Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario
A victim of all the back-and-forth of government-union negotiations is often the public perception of educators as dedicated, passionate professionals. This campaign, featuring real teachers, is built upon an insight that was buried deep inside a research document: Most of us can name at least one teacher who deeply influenced our lives. In reminding Ontarians what they had told us, this campaign reinforced the value of these invaluable public servants at a time when they most needed the public’s support.
Using #teacherschangelives our online community was able to share stories about the teachers who impacted them the most.
Havergal College
One of Canada’s oldest and most prestigious private schools required a campaign that took parents beyond the ivy-covered walls, showing them that this remarkable institution has much more to offer than tradition. This multimedia campaign, ranging from digital to direct response marketing, expanded Havergal’s reach far beyond its usual print-focused media strategy.
Door hangers were developed to specifically target Toronto’s most exclusive neighbourhoods.
OCAS
OCAS (Ontario College Application Service) upgraded its application process, making it far easier for students to have their records digitally forwarded to post-secondary institutions. Then came the hard part – figuring out how to grab the attention of a province of high schoolers long enough to convey this important news to them. Rather than distributing dry, boring pamphlets and emails, we communicated the news in the style of a comic book in both printed and digital forms. It was an approach that apparently worked, with use of the new system far exceeding expectations over the initial year.
Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario
Leading up to Ontario’s provincial election, the incumbent party was dead last in the polls by a wide margin. That’s when this campaign – designed to grab attention and change the conversation – dropped like a hammer. Boosted by significant coverage from television, print, radio and online media outlets that expanded its reach far beyond its budget, Vote Against Kids helped elevate education from a non-election issue up the #2 spot in voters' minds. The spotlight this campaign shone on this key issue played a role in turning certain defeat into a stunning victory for the more teacher-union-friendly party.
After a short teaser phase, this campaign made it clear that it was 'pro-kid' by reminding people that the best place to support better public education was at the ballot box.
Get in touch:
If you have a project you'd like to discuss, need creative and strategic consulting, we'd love to chat: