Situation:
Vassar has been coed for 50+ years, but many still perceived is as an all-womens college. This is fueled by a remarkable history and cultural relevance, with highly accomplished women across so many fields – and those stories tend to win the spotlight. We needed to help Vassar increase awareness, shift misperceptions, and build reputation among all audiences, but especially with men and prospective parents. We also needed to position Vassar as a champion of the Liberal Arts – a core element of Vassar’s DNA – at a time when the value of a Liberal Arts education is under fire across the nation.

Solution:
Vassar wholeheartedly embraces a tradition of impassioned discourse, what they call “A Beautiful Friction” – bringing together people from all backgrounds and working hard to create a highly engaged community and culture and channeling that energy in a positive way. Vassar’s brand platform is centered around the idea “Where Edges Meet,” meaning we can find inspiration at the edges – of tensions, borders, and the collision of ideas. Creatively, the story of Vassar is found Where Sparks Fly: where cultures coincide, dialogues converge, perspectives cross, and barriers shatter.

Our campaign brings this story to life in a way that piques interest and builds excitement, sparking inspiration and inquiry. This spans admission print and digital marketing materials, an anthem video, campus environmental graphics, athletics recruitment materials, and social media. Focusing on the user experience, we highlight Vassar’s remarkable sense of place and vibrant community – and importantly, its efforts at embracing differences – echoing that the ways in which we’re different are more important than the ways in which we’re alike.