Boston University
A campaign that plays the long game
If you were to sit on the banks of the Charles River for 100 years, what would you see? Well, in the 1860s you would see stones laid, buildings erected, and Boston University chartered. Soon after, you would see Alexander Graham Bell hard at work in his laboratory, inventing the telephone, and before the century’s end you would witness Martin Luther King, Jr. receive his doctorate and go on to influence generations. One hundred years at Boston University is enough time to cement countless legacies, so to inspire their donors to give, we asked them one question: how many opportunities do you have to guarantee your impact for a century?
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When we were first introduced to BU’s Century Challenge, we discovered an underused yet promising campaign that could be doing so much more. After all, who among us doesn’t think about the legacy we will leave behind? In researching the institution, we discovered that Boston University has nurtured incredible minds over the past two centuries, and they are poised to do it in the coming one, too. With a scholarship fund designed to match and grow major donations, we decided to leverage BU’s legacy in order to help donors cement their own.
To do so, we focused on today’s students – the recipients of this scholarship, the ones who will shape BU’s future. We told their stories while asking donors to consider the impact they wish to make, the ambition they wish to support, and provided them with the opportunity to not only envision the future of the university but also understand what it takes to make new histories possible.
A comprehensive brand toolkit helps everyone at the university create on-brand content.
Direct-to-camera portraiture helps donors engage with the students connected to the initiative. Duotone brings an editorial feel to the layout while reinforcing the BU brand.
Thin borders echo the BU logo and subtly reinforce the University’s role in the campaign.
A refreshed suite of print and video materials brings our campaign narrative to life.
