University of British Columbia

The Insight

But we saw the campaign being about so much more than a building—they were raising money for what the building will do for society: Unlike siloed universities worldwide, Applied One would host a new model of education in which engineers, architects, and planners collaborate with community members and industry leaders to solve the world’s most complex problems. The unique campaign positioning we developed was intended to unite and excite UBC’s audiences about new ways of working together that rewrite the rules of applied science

The Journey

Though their donor types are quite varied, we helped the Faculty develop on-strategy campaign materials including a website, case for support brochure, and moving video, to impress upon their donors the urgency of the matter: “We’re at a turning point where we must work collaboratively or submit to a status quo of waning impact and relevance. But if it doesn’t happen now, it will happen too late.”

The Impact

This bold and visionary strategy came alive throughout groundbreaking communication tools. Handwritten typeface and photos accentuated the collaborative nature of the campaign, and a powerful hero image reinforced the campaign’s dynamism and pivotal nature on the microsite. UCB is on track to meet or exceed their goal well before the end of the campaign!