Recognizing that the audience extended beyond prospective students to include current students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community, the campaign was structured as a flexible messaging system. Each audience required a distinct narrative—balancing clarity, reassurance, and opportunity—while maintaining a cohesive visual and conceptual approach.
The work combines approachable, optimistic visuals with targeted messaging to reframe the merger as a positive and forward-looking transition. Friendly color, expressive typography, and the strategic use of Kean’s mascot introduced a sense of familiarity and approachability, helping to soften apprehension and build trust.
Campaign executions were tailored across audiences and channels: social media narratives highlighted academic and research opportunities for NJCU students, lifestyle-driven messaging positioned Jersey City as a compelling destination for Kean’s suburban population, and community-facing taglines emphasized the broader impact of the merger. Transit-based creative extended this narrative into the public sphere, using the metaphor of movement—Kean’s mascot traveling into Jersey City—to frame the acquisition as a natural and accessible transition.
Deployed across programmatic display, social media, transit, and out-of-home placements, Phase 1 establishes a scalable foundation for the full campaign rollout, aligning institutional messaging with audience needs during a pivotal moment of change.
Role: Art Director and Lead Designer
Scope: Campaign Strategy, Programmatic Display, Social Media, Transit, Out-of-Home, Email