Plymouth Marjon University — brand development
An impactful awareness campaign that changed an institution.
Briefed to create an awareness campaign to convey the values and benefits of this ambitious university we adopted a challenger approach that disrupted the market and changed perceptions. The campaign was so successful it prompted an evolution of the brand and eventually led to the university changing its name!
Want to talk about what we can do for you, contact us on: 01225 444 174 or info{at}ignition.uk.com
The university had an awareness problem: how do you engage two distinct customers with one voice?
We identified inclusivity as the main driver. The key ‘reason to believe’. We convinced the university to be brave and bold and to take ownership of their colloquial name - 'Marjon' was a shortening of the original university name used by Plymouth locals.
We proposed a bright and punchy campaign which celebrated their values, location and progressive approach to learning.
The awareness campaign achieved unprecedented cut-through and was remarkably successful, with unprecedented increases in prompted and unprompted awareness as well as in student applications.
Campaign styling was applied across the university - website, printed collateral, internal comms, prospectus and apparel.
Eventually the university took the plunge and decided to embrace the Marjon moniker and change its name to Plymouth Marjon University.
A new brand needs a new visual language. We developed a brand colour palette that embodied the university’s amazing location - the sea, the outdoors and Exmoor.
Fresh, bright and confident, the new palette was applied across all brand activations - internal and external
Brands can’t stand still. They must adapt and evolve, while still remaining true to their proposition and values.
For a takeover in Exeter Airport we developed a graphic styling and messaging inspired by early century travel posters, re-inventing Marjon as a destination.
To reinforce the university's challenger status, and in response to the changes of student expectations brought on by the Covid pandemic, we developed a punchy typographic undergraduate recruitment campaign. Designed to disrupt, the posters were located in high-traffic locations in the South West.
