Wilkes University Wants You to “BE COLONEL”

December 10, 2009 • 2:00 pm • POSTED BY Dan Giroux

Several years ago we worked with Wilkes University to launch a unique, award winning advertising campaign focused on demonstrating personal attention to prospective undergraduate students and their influencers. We selected specific markets and a high school senior from each that best represented the ideal Wilkes student, got to know them through a series of interviews, and then developed a number of very targeted media buys and messages aimed at generating buzz and raising awareness for the institution. Not only did it garner a significant amount of local and regional publicity, but even caught the attention of national media like The New York Times, MTV, and Fox News.

With the buzz of the campaign waning and shifting marketing objectives, it was time to re-concept a whole new ad campaign that could be used this fall and beyond. With the message of personal attention still at its core, the new campaign uses real stories of mentorship and hands-on learning to educate audiences on what it’s like to “Be Colonel” – a phrase that embodies the spirit of the university.

In lieu of bowling alleys, pizza boxes, fortune cookies, and other niche mediums used in the past, the new media strategy relied heavily on a combination of broad-based tactics like TV and targeted ones such as Facebook. All pushing people to a new micro site developed for the campaign, which houses the TV commercial and several longer videos detailing stories of personal attention, including a surprise stunt conducted by Wilkes’ mascot the Colonel.

TV Spot

To see all the videos, visit BeColonel.com or check them out on our YouTube channel.

Credits:
Executive Creative Director: Jim Walls
Creative Director: Tammo Walter
Designer: Adam Flanagan
Copywriter: Cory McCall
Interactive: Brian Tennyson, Mike McAllister, Mike Medoro
Account Management: Dan Giroux, Jon Fruman
Photographer: Tom Ammon
Production Manager: Rosemary Fahmie
Motion Graphics & Illustration: Volume One