Backstory
America’s Arctic University. UAF is the nation’s northernmost land, sea and space grant university. It offers a full range of higher–education programs, from certificate to Ph.D. A world–renowned international research center, it emphasizes Alaska, the circumpolar North and its diverse peoples. Located about 350 miles north of Anchorage and 125 miles south of the Arctic Circle (see Figure 1), Fairbanks is often referred to as the Golden Heart of Alaska due to its mining history. The Interior of Alaska attracts people with a wide range of cultural and outdoor interests. Fairbanks is the main campus; satellite campuses are dotted throughout the state.
Ambition
Having heard Bryan Peterson, president of Peterson Ray & Company, speak at a University & College Designers Association meeting, the University art director contacted Peterson Ray & Company. She wanted to engage the design and writing team that produced the George Fox University brand messaging and marketing campaign, which her staff admired.
The UAF marketing director and the director of admissions realized the University’s need for marketing their nine colleges and schools individually but still under the UAF brand. The staff consulted with Peterson Ray & Company and determined the University, whose budget was extremely tight, by order of the State government, could fund such a project.
Action
Scott Ray and Bryan Peterson, project art directors and designers, and Ann Bennett, strategist/writer flew to Fairbanks in early December. For two full days, they interviewed students, faculty and staff, spending a significant portion of time with the admissions office recruiters and determining their needs.
Peterson Ray & Company recommended that Ann set the umbrella theme for the series of nine viewbooks (see Figure 2). She also was instructed to create a separate theme for each of the nine colleges, pertinent to the curriculum.
Ann tried various approaches, centering on extracting a theme from various words related to the University. She settled on “it” from University. University of Fairbanks: Is { it } for you? Scott concurred with Ann for the following reasons: it had to be a concept that promoted UAF and almost equally the individual college; it had to be a flexible enough concept and design to allow each college to express its own character and selling points.
In order to illustrate her direction, Ann wrote copy for two brochures. When the marketing director read the initial copy, he questioned the concept (was the concept too impersonal, could each school retain its own message and character, was the theme too generic). But Ann and Scott persisted, sending layouts that addressed his concerns along with further brochure copy. At this point, the marketing director understood the validity and effectiveness of the concept. He proceeded to “sell” the idea to the nine–plus admissions directors involved. Many of them were located at satellite campuses in several locations — some extremely remote.
At first, some directors were resistant. (Unless you have a sympathetic reader’s eye, you easily could reject such a proposal out of hand.) But the marketing director was so supportive of the direction Peterson Ray & Company was pursuing, that he finally “sold” each of the admissions directors involved. A major accomplishment!
Impact
Ann’s role in the project ended when the concept was approved. The University wrote the remaining copy. Peterson Ray & Company followed through with the concept, design and production. Distribution of the brochures is taking place now — too soon to evaluate the effect.
Next phase. Peterson Ray & Company is working on the new University viewbook and search piece.
