Work Samples Prepared for:

Situation

The nation’s first public university, the University of Virginia (“UVA”) has played an integral role in the evolution of public education in the United States. Thomas Jefferson architected a new model for higher education, and the Academical Village—designed to create cross- disciplinary exchange—was positioned at the center of it all. For more than 200 years since, UVA has fulfilled its cinematic origin story as a heavy-hitting research institution, consistently ranked among the top publics, with 11 prestigious schools, a comprehensive health system, and top athletics programs. But the legend of Jefferson and UVA’s museum- like traditions were overpowering critical stories of ingenuity and innovation, compromising relevancy. So in 2014, in the lead-up to the launch of its Bicentennial Commemoration and its largest-ever comprehensive campaign, UVA engaged 160over90 to redefine, reanimate, and future-proof UVA’s brand platform and narrative.

Solution

To combat UVA’s historical reliance but honor its great legacy, 160over90 adjusted the narrative from Jefferson himself to the timeless ideals he espoused. The resulting brand platform, Living Idealism, draws on the past while always looking to the future, reflecting the endless pursuits of the community and demonstrating a continued commitment to excellence, ingenuity, and leadership throughout UVA’s third century.

Themes of collaboration, experimentation, and constant evolution were explored via print, digital, TV, radio, social, and high-visibility out-of-home placements. We’ve worked to reposition the incredibly iconic Rotunda from a ‘monument’ to a bulldozer, honoring UVA’s radical ways of thinking about what sits at the center of an educational experience. We’ve reimagined the President’s Report as Illimitable, a biannual editorial publication showcasing the best of UVA’s pursuits, relaunching it as a rich media online magazine.

And through a diligent process of engaging all corners of the community and equipping more than 1,600 communicators with proper marketing tools and assets—we’ve built a creative and cohesive storytelling ecosystem at UVA that aligned the overarching institution, schools, health system, athletics, admissions, advancement, and individual sub-brands/business units.

Results

In six years’ time, we’ve built more than a brand identity for UVA—we’ve created a dynamic ecosystem that reflects the true diversity, shared energy, and bold mission of one of the nation’s great universities.

We’ve increased the institution’s visibility and perception within the Commonwealth of Virginia and in the national landscape. An awareness campaign yielded more than 22 million impressions, resulting in the most successful video in school history and an 87% lift in unique site visits. A new subscription campaign for the news platform increased reach by 85% and generated 40,000+ subscribers. And a realignment of social properties grew total followers by nearly 40% in just the first year.

We’ve helped UVA achieve an historic high in quality applications and student diversity, growing undergraduate applications by 27%; increasing first- generation and minority applicants by more than 25% and 11%, respectively; and securing the largest number of early-action applications in UVA’s history, while also improving average SAT scores by more than 60 points.

And as a testament to internal adoption and brand alignment, in 2017 UVA was recognized by the American Marketing Association as the Higher Education Marketing Team of the Year.

Situation

The world’s first bone-marrow transplant. The drafting of the U.S. Social Security Act. The first weather satellite in space. UW-Madison has arguably moved the world forward in every field—long charting impact and consistently outranking peers in federal research funding—but the University hasn’t received the respect or recognition deserving of a Top 5 research powerhouse. That, coupled with steep declines in state funding, signaled to UW-Madison a need to define its value proposition and newly rally support to secure the school’s enduring mission.

Solution

160over90 explored a series of juxtapositions—a state and school born in the same year but separated by ideological differences; a Midwestern University oriented more like a progressive research institution; a campus tradition of co-location that facilitates cross-pollination and collision of ideas, fields of study, and cultures—to shape a narrative of success achieved together, and limitless progress ahead.

The resulting brand platform, Boundless Together, is predicated on the idea that collaboration yields tremendous impact and promises a brighter [economic] future for everyone in Wisconsin.

It’s manifested itself in nationally televised TV spots highlighting fascinating discoveries and developments borne of collaboration among students, faculty, state government, and industry. Like the Tactile Stave Notation—a joint venture between UW’s School of Music and its Department of Mechanical Engineering—to render 3D sheet music that has the potential to bridge sighted and blind musicians. Or Virtual Reality Home Health Care—a collab between the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery and UW’s School of Nursing, School of Human Ecology, and College of Engineering—that simulates home environments and studies home health care technology interactions, in an effort to ease at-home healing and improve recovery times.

It has informed seminal admissions pieces including an undergraduate viewbook and acceptance package, celebrating many viewpoints but a shared focus, and asserting that what makes us different is what makes a difference. It became the driving force behind Project 72—an alumni storytelling campaign that canvassed all 72 counties in Wisconsin, leveraging out of home and print advertisements, local-market earned media coverage, social media chatter, and a surprise-and-delight ice cream truck tour to proudly proclaim that the school and the state are, at once, inextricably bound and boundless together.

It served as the foundation for UW’s Global Health Institute. As an aggregator of knowledge and talent. the GHI addresses pressing health issues and the need to advance the health and wellbeing for all humans, animals, and the ecosystem. To demonstrate a commitment to a culture of wellness, we developed a new annual report, student-focused postcards, and digital experiences that bolstered the GHI’s commitment and collaboration with the world outside of Madison, Wisconsin.

And it underpinned UW-M’s first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, All Ways Forward, which took an audience-centric approach to fundraising $3.1 billion+. In the interest of diversifying the giving base and engaging younger alumni, micro-donations were encouraged and a crowdsourcing strategy invited supporters to identify specific areas of interest, donate to them directly, and track sub-campaign progress. 160over90 developed the campaign website concept, content assets and copywriting, sitemap architecture, user experience, interface design, and development consultation. This website was more than just a giving and donation platform—it took many cues from e-commerce user experience techniques.

Results

Boundless Together advertising has successfully driven awareness and interest, in and outside of Wisconsin. On the admissions front, UW-Madison has seen a 14% increase in web traffic from out-of-state students, and a 16% increase in out-of-state inquiries, specifically. The University jumped up six spots in U.S. News & World Report rankings. And All Ways Forward exceeded its goal, raising $4.02 billion. 

For decades, the University of Dayton (“UD”) enjoyed unwavering support from some of the nation’s most dedicated fans. Fans who have been there through the highs and lows, and who continue to pack their 13,435-seat arena. To repay this loyalty and to ensure it for future generations, UD made an unprecedented investment to elevate the program through the quality of recruits they attract—and they tasked 160over90 to develop a new brand identity that would support their efforts.

In 2014, following a successful men’s basketball season, 160over90 worked with the university to create a new athletics brand built around a cohesive message—To Every Challenge We Rise. The brand showcases the pride, persistence, determination, and passion infused in Flyers’ sports while drawing visual cues from UD’s history and vision for the future. As a whole, it shows the Flyers as a formidable force that will only rise higher.

To bring the athletics visual identity to life, our team developed a brand that would fit under the overarching UD brand and attract a higher quality athlete and elevate the program to elite status. The new logo is adaptable across all athletic environmental branding mediums, from digital and broadcast, to court and stadium signage, to uniforms and apparel. Specifically, our team created in-stadium graphics, print advertising, and outdoor advertising, in addition to branding the team’s locker room and arena, and developing an athlete-recruitment microsite and uniforms for the Flyers.

Situation

Downtown Crossing is the hub of Boston, where T lines filter in and out and more than 230,000 people walk its streets each day, from those seeking the green of the Common to the green-chasers of the Financial District, the tourists of Faneuil Hall to the aristocrats of Beacon Hill. It had been known for decades as Boston’s shopping district, where entire families would scour the racks at stores such as Filene’s Basement. But with the rise of the suburban shopping mall, that downtown activity had all but ground to a halt, and many of those hundreds of thousands of pedestrians found themselves simply passing through. To some, hiring a marketing firm to take on the role traditionally held by urban planners may seem unconventional, but our expertise in branding helped uncover the essential truths inherent in the neighborhood, ultimately leading to a cohesive articulation of what the new vision for Downtown Crossing really should be.

Solution

After unveiling that vision at a press conference alongside Mayor Thomas Menino, we set to work on giving the city’s key stakeholders the tools they would need to help make the vision a reality and attract the right mix of retailers to the area — those who would ultimately become the catalysts for change in a reinvigorated Downtown Crossing.

Results

Downtown Crossing successfully implemented a business improvement district — a first of its kind in Boston — and has attracted more than $2.4 billion in capital investments.