Campaign: Opening Doors Promise Scholarship

English / Spanish zipper pull, fold-out mailers stacked. Copyright 2024 College of the Mainland.

English / Spanish zipper pull, fold-out mailer fully opened. Copyright 2024 College of the Mainland.

December 2023 Galveston Daily News half-page newspaper ad. Copyright 2024 College of the Mainland.

THE NEED
Develop themed marketing materials geared towards recent high school graduates in the college’s taxing and service districts to drive awareness for the “Opening Doors Promise Scholarship” program (which allows students to attend College of the Mainland for free). Channels will include social media, YouTube (20 second video), billboard (OOH), print mailer and sticker swag sheet, newspaper half page ad, commencement program ad, digital targed ads and web landing page (com.edu/promise).

MY APPROACH
The promise campaign needed to stand out, be recognizable and have its own branding that was different from the college’s institutional advertising. Using a bright blue and black pulled from the college’s secondary color palette, my design presented a minimalist approach utilizing a limited palette for a bold, striking appearance. I incorporated photos of actual students for authenticity, as well as an integration of architectural elements from campus photographs to give pieces a visually disruptive edginess for a high school audience. Collaborating with the team, I contributed to the messaging ideation “Like for real” for an authentic and relatable high school tone.

THE RESULT
The Promise Scholarship campaign, which has been in effect for a couple of years now, has been very successful helping enrollment levels hit new records. Student questionnaires have led to the discovery many were encouraged to sign up as a result of highway billboards placed strategically in local communities.

MY ROLE
Research, design strategy, branding, graphic design and layout, content strategy, project management