Individual Student Recruitment Publications

General Observations

The judging panel assembled for this category was comprised of six marketing communications professionals with a range of experience and included: higher education marketing professionals, a graphic designer, an admissions marketing professional and the president of a marketing agency.

A total of 171 entries were received for this category. The entries were judged not only on visual design (overall presentation, photography, layout, typography) but also on the demonstration of understanding the target audience, the ability to communicate the institution's mission, effectively using resources, results/response, and overall creativity and innovation. In addition to having a superior, on-brand visual presentation, winners in this category had a well-defined marketing communications strategy and a method for evaluating results. It should be noted that some very good entries were not able to be judged because responses on the entry form lacked depth and/or were missing completely.

Overall, the competition was very stiff. There were many excellent pieces submitted. The true standouts were those that received an award.

General characteristics of winning entries

• Visual design on target with the overall mission of the institution
• Solid marketing communications strategy evident, and an articulation of how the piece fit with the overall strategy
• A method for evaluating results and responses
• On-brand creativity
• Effective messaging

Category strengths include

• Quality photography
• Compelling student profiles
• Distinct overall design
• Unique formats and sizes

Category weaknesses include

• Overused themes "Pictures yourself here," "Begin your journey here," "Create your future"
• Busy/confusing design
• Lack of differentiation
• Headlines with overused marketing-speak to appear "cool"

Comments on Winning Entries

Gold Medals

Kenyon College, (The Essential Kenyon)

• "The Essential Kenyon" viewbook caught each judges' eyes immediately. The piece has a very interesting cover photo of a female student riding a bike. The "blurred" photo style is unique and the colors appealing. The piece has a partial cover wrap that captures the imagination and invites the reader to peak at the photo and open the piece. The viewbook is distinctive before even opening it. The size of the viewbook is also non-standard at 7.5" x 12" inches. The photography throughout is outstanding and there are numerous full-page photos that truly communicate the essence of Kenyon without having to use words. Layout of the viewbook is also executed well. The piece is organized into distinctive sections so that readers are very informed about the various facets of Kenyon. For example, each section follows the theme established on the cover wrap, "the essential Kenyon:" 1) the academic Kenyon, 2) the definitive Kenyon, 3) the resident Kenyon, 4) the physical Kenyon, 5) the extended Kenyon, and 6) the extended Kenyon. Each section is extremely communicative with both words and photography. Overall, the viewbook is excellent and truly conveys the essence of Kenyon.

Stanford University, (The Wind of Freedom Blows: Stanford Viewbook)

• The Stanford viewbook is stunning and captures the Stanford essence without a doubt. Throughout the viewbook, the Stanford story is told and prospective students and their parents truly get the message about why Stanford has earned its spot as one of the nation's top universities. The cover of the viewbook stands out - an uncoated stock in Stanford red with a white border and the name "Stanford" in large all capital letters across the middle of the cover and just below, a phrase from the university's motto, "the wind of freedom." The first page then pays off the word "freedom" in a number of succinct messages. The photography throughout the piece is excellent and the use of many full-page photos really makes you feel like you are on the campus. The layout of the viewbook is clean and crisp and the Stanford visual brand is consistently demonstrated through the use of color and images. The messaging is on-brand throughout and truly communicates Stanford's heritage, culture and mission. This viewbook stands out on all fronts.

Silver Medals

Appalachian State University, (First Connections, Guide for Incoming Students 2008-2009)

• Shortly after acceptance to Appalachian State, accepted students (and parents) receive "First Connections." The handbook contains a wealth of information appropriate for this stage in the admissions process. Each of the judges loved the overall look of this piece - an earthy cover stock with a few simple photos bordering the bottom third of the piece. The handbook is spiral bound and the size is easy to use at 8.5" x 8". The design is clean and consistent throughout the piece. In addition, the photography is excellent - a very nice mix of photos that show natural Appalachian scenes and campus shots. Each section is tabbed and well-organized. The tabbed pages each have a unique solid color and a few silhouette-style photos at the bottom of the page in almost a collage style. The piece includes a campus map on the last two pages. In all, this is an excellent handbook that would make any accepted student and their parents excited about their decision to attend Appalachian State.

Carnegie Mellon University, (Get Your Kilt On! Viewbook)

• Carnegie Mellon's viewbook is an all around outstanding creative piece. The viewbook successfully "steps out" and demonstrates creativity in both design and copy - and at the same time really nails Carnegie Mellon's brand, culture and Scottish heritage. The cover design is quite unique with a close-up of the fabric of a kilt serving as the background pattern. Judges loved the attention-getting creativity with headlines such as, "Learn Pittsburghese" and "So you decided to take a peek under the kilt?", which pay off the message on the cover: "get your kilt on." The layout of the entire piece is interesting, edgy and current - appealing to today's prospective students. The viewbook is excellent at communicating Carnegie Mellon's heritage and traditions and the student and faculty profiles are extremely well done. Carnegie Mellon had a strong project plan that involved student input and used focus groups to test reactions to the viewbook. Being a technical university, attracting women remains a constant goal, so the viewbook heavily integrates women into its design, with the goal of removing traditional gender barriers associated with technological fields of study.

Champlain College, (Freshman Stories)

• The Champlain College mailer was sent to accepted students with a goal of communicating what it's like to be a first-year student at Champlain. The postcard-sized piece was sent in an envelope and is about twenty bound pages. The piece is successful because it is simple and has a clear mission. The piece targets newly accepted students by tackling false assumptions and presenting the reality as written by current, first-year students. Throughout the piece, there are photos of many facets of life at Champlain. Opposite of each photographic page there is a page that addresses one of the assumptions/realities. The mailer successfully covers topics such as, what's it like having a roommate to academics, social life and the town of Burlington. The college reports that 85 percent of students who received the mailer signed up on a specially created social network, which demonstrates the effectiveness of this piece.

Colgate University, (2013)

• This small brochure is an extremely unique and clever piece. It is a recruitment brochure that targets the class of 2013 (students enrolling in fall 2009). Colgate has a proud tradition that celebrates the number 13 and there are many 13s that appear in the folklore and heritage of the university. Colgate developed this piece to reach out to the prospective class of 2013 (students and parents) to let them how special this class will be. Colgate has conducted research that shows parents are impressed with the school's traditions. From a design perspective, the brochure is a fold-out with seven panels with each panel providing a quick snapshot of the different traditions surrounding the number thirteen. The piece incorporates archival photography in several places and uses sepia tones to convey a strong sense of history and tradition. In all, the piece is intriguing from the cover throughout each panel and demonstrates a very creative way to differentiate Colgate during the recruiting process.

Fashion Institute of Technology, (2008-2010 Look Book)

• The FIT look book is visually engaging and appeals to the creative talent that the institute is trying to recruit. While the cover is interesting, it is what's inside that really "wows." Upon applying, students must select their major so the viewbook must clearly profile each of FIT's 26 areas of study. The viewbook does a good job at maintaining a consistent overall look and feel, but at the same time successfully tailors each major's spread to sell what is unique. The use of color and photography throughout the piece is excellent - it's a very vibrant piece. Prospective students can get a good feel for each area of study from reviewing each spread. Copy and layout is also visually appealing with a hip and edgy feel.

Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart, (Viewbook)

• Woodlands Academy's viewbook demonstrates quality all the way around. From a simple but interesting cover design, to excellent, focused messaging, the viewbook achieves specific objectives that support the school's mission and targets the type of girls who excel at an all-girls school. The small size of the viewbook makes the piece distinctive at 6.25" x 8.5" inches. The cover stands out with its plaid background and white border with just the school's logo in white within a red box. The messaging is enhanced by the attractive and consistent use of typography and colors throughout the viewbook. Breathing life into the messages are the engaging photographs. A reader can pick up the viewbook, glance through a few pages and still walk away with a sense of Woodland's unique environment.

Bronze Medals

Boston University, (School of Public Health Poster)

• This poster is excellent in conveying BU's School of Public Health's brand to prospective graduate and doctoral students. The poster has all of the elements of an outstanding print advertisement: a nice clean layout, one powerful image that immediately captures your attention and a headline that "says it all." The photo is truly distinctive and evocative - a close-up of the face of a young child from East Timor in his mother's colorful carrying pouch. The headline, "To Some it's a calling. To our students it's a sonic boom.", speaks directly to the type of students the School of Public Health is trying to recruit - those who are driven and have a strong emotional desire to make a difference in the world. This poster was concepted and created entirely in-house, and including printing of 155 posters, BU produced this for a total cost of $803 - a great use of resources.

Massachusetts College of Art and Design, (MassArt Viewbook)

• The Mass Art viewbook is a great portrait of an art school and incorporates creativity and uniqueness on each page. The viewbook cover features a full-page, up-close photo of a jewelry student crafting a piece with just the MassArt logo in the lower left corner. To further add to the interest to the cover, it is embossed with a texture reminiscent of a jewelry file. The viewbook has many full-page photos of excellent quality. Several of the text page layouts are extremely captivating with copy displayed in several different directions, making creative use of a formal grid system. Overall, this piece is well executed and captures the spirit of MassArt.

North Carolina State University, (school.future.life.09. It's your story. Create it at NC State.)

• The North Carolina State viewbook uses a bold, direct approach to capture the attention of prospective students and helps NC State stand out in a geographic area saturated with colleges and universities. The bold tone, which incorporates mainly the use of black and red on a white background is carried throughout the viewbook's graphics and photography, giving it a feel all its own. The viewbook's size is unique - not too big and not too small at 7" x 9.75". The style - including headlines and layout - is very "digital" in feel, yet the piece is print and appears to match the pace of students' lives today and talks to them in a way in which a prospective student could connect. Judges also took note of the effective use of in-houses resources for this piece - producing a highly creative viewbook for just $0.60 each.

Northumbria University, (NU09 - Undergraduate Prospectus)

• Northumbria's undergraduate prospectus takes on the unique and radical style of a "High Street Magazine" in order to appeal to Northumbria's target audience. The overall design has the look of a slick/hip magazine and the editorial style is that of a magazine - thus the look and feel and editorial align. The writing is well executed and student writers contribute to parts of the prospectus. One of the primary stated goals of the piece was to drive prospective students to Northumbria's Web site for more detailed information about coursework - and Northumbria has seen a marked increase in traffic to its site and in the number of applications received. The prospectus incorporates intriguing photography, most of which are close-up shots of students and faculty - all with the "hip" magazine style. Many student profiles add to the quality of the piece and give prospective students a good look into the various majors and what it is like to be a Northumbria student. In all, this is a unique piece and the university has done an excellent job at conducting extensive research and translating that research into the development of a prospectus that prospective students will enjoy reading and find extremely informative.

Pacific Northwest College of Art, (BFA Recruitment Packet)

• PNCA's recruitment packet grabbed the judges' attention quickly because of the packaging. Their package actually contains two small booklets with about 100 pages each, fitting snuggly into a gusseted envelop/mailer with an environmentally friendly simple cardboard look. Even more interesting, the mailer uses interlocking side cutouts and no glue, demonstrating the commitment to sustainable design. Judges took note of the creative and innovative sustainable practices used, which help builds an emotional connection with targeted prospective students. The larger booklet is the viewbook and the smaller booklet provides detailed information about admissions and required coursework for degrees offered. The uniqueness of the viewbook invites prospective students to explore and learn more about PNCA. Attracting extremely talented and creative students requires recruiting materials that are distinctly unique and creative and PNCA's recruiting materials are just that. The materials are exactly what you would hope to see from an arts college. Judges also appreciated the attention to detail throughout all aspects of the pieces. The viewbook has some very interesting photography and each area of study has a foldout that showcases the work of PNCA's current students.

University of Portland, (Viewbook)

• The judges were all very intrigued by this viewbook and the university's strategy for developing the piece. By conducting positioning research, paying attention to the needs of its target audience and incorporating the university's mission, the University of Portland succeeds in meeting its viewbook objectives. While an oversized brochure can be awkward, this viewbook actually shines because of its larger size (10" x 12.5"). The full-cover photo is beautiful - and while campus scenes can be overused and thus not distinctive, this photograph works as the quality and colors are excellent. The rounded edges on the right and left corners of the brochure soften the piece and are a nice touch. Layout and photography throughout the viewbook are outstanding. The large layout allows for a number of full-page photos so you really feel like you are "there." The student profiles are well done and effective. The university attributes a significant increase in applicants to this on-brand viewbook.