Choose you.

1 in 6 aged 5 to 16 experience a mental health problem.
That’s 31% of 16-24 year olds.

UWE’s current strategy was University Done Right. It was punchy, it de-positioned other Universities and it embodied the spirit of Bristol. But when you look at those stats, it’s not relatable for the students of today.

This presented an opportunity to push their undergraduate campaign into a space more relevant for the target audience. Together with a copywriter we unearthed our own insights and research which formed the rationale for the new creative strategy, giving more purpose and emotional intelligence to the existing strategy.

A visual and verbal analysis of the current undergrad campaigns showed a sea of the same creative/tonal tropes. Language that is loud and tells the students to change, to be better. Imagery that can’t be seen to favour any faculty over another, leading to photography that show overly posed and academic students cut out on coloured backgrounds or walking around grassy campuses that gives a narrow view of the experiences at university.

Young people are disillusioned with the idea of even going to university. They’re worried about the future. And yet universities are telling them they are the future, and in fact that they need to change the future. To be ambitious, fly higher. Putting this responsibility on an anxious, angry, disillusioned community of young people whose job – they’re being told – is to fix everything.

So we offered them something different. Tapping into the disillusionment among the younger generation, and encouraging them to put themselves first. Positioning UWE as the university which celebrates you, and your choices – just as you are. Even if that means, not choosing them. 

‘University done for the right reasons’ became our strategic platform.

Taking ownership of a signposting narrative we injected a more saturated colour palette that gives students permission to put themselves first. A distinctly bold approach rooted in the wellbeing of the students.