Work / Visual Design

SAIT Brand Campaign

The SAIT brand campaign sparks excitement and boosts awareness, captivating prospective students and showcasing opportunities at SAIT.

Project developed for SAIT      |#graphic design #digital marketing|     March 2024

The Brief

The annual brand and recruitment marketing campaign for SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology) aimed to increase awareness of the institute’s tech-focused programs and diverse range of educational offerings. The goal was to build top-of-mind presence among prospective students, especially high school seniors, and encourage them to choose SAIT for their post-secondary education. The campaign targeted not only the students but also those who influence their decisions, such as parents and teachers. The final creative push, intended to support the spring and fall 2024 intakes, focused on reinforcing this awareness and confidence in SAIT. With multiple creative swaps throughout the year, this segment was the last push before the campaign wrap-up, ensuring that SAIT remained at the forefront of the prospective students' minds as they made their decisions.

The Process

The first step in executing the campaign was selecting the appropriate channels for distribution, which in this case included Facebook, Instagram, and Stack Adapt. Messaging was developed in parallel, with the strategy team outlining core messages for each phase of the campaign. While each phase varied slightly in its messaging, consistency across all communications was crucial for a coherent brand voice. I worked closely with the strategy team to visualize the messaging effectively. To make the words stand out, I utilized a word-by-word animation technique, adding dynamic emphasis. I further heightened impact by applying cartoon physics to the phrase "alarm clock," making it appear to ring in a humorous, exaggerated fashion. Finally, once the creative direction was established, I adapted the visuals for various ad formats to ensure the campaign’s reach across different platforms.

The Outcome

The campaign significantly raised awareness of SAIT's diverse programming offerings and played a key role in driving applications for the spring and fall 2024 intake. Video ads, in particular, outperformed static ads in terms of engagement and performance, capturing the audience’s attention more effectively. The campaign's Facebook ads garnered a larger reach compared to Instagram, contributing to an increased overall visibility. By closing the understanding gap of SAIT’s program scope, the campaign successfully engaged both prospective students and their influencers, ultimately driving up the number of applications. The creative approach, including the dynamic animation and playful touches, helped make the messaging more memorable and engaging, ensuring a lasting impression on the audience.