Student Recruitment Publications Packages

General Observations

This category, overall, demonstrated quite a bit of excellence. The judges also note that there was a wide variety of quality from high to low. The above awards were given because the entry demonstrated very high quality and a concept relevance to the target market. Target markets ranged from middle school girls, Christian kids, engineers, and techies, so they gave awards to institutions who knew their audiences.

Several entries came in sleeves/small binders, and one entry came in a large 3-ring binder with clear sleeves. The judges cautioned that these formal entry devices are off-putting. The judges wanted to see pieces as they would be mailed and received by prospective students. These devices also made it very difficult for the judges to see how the pieces worked together, and to view the entries.

Finally, a handful of entries were of very poor quality; the judges were surprised that they were entered in this contest. The abstracts were very poorly written. Judges commented that these kinds of entries do nothing to enhance the reputation of the institutions they represent. Entrants should carefully review what makes a winner, and read abstracts from previous years.

Comments on Winning Entries

Grand Gold Medal

Girl's Preparatory School

• This entry was the standout. Great job. Like all good direct mail, its got different sizes, paper weights, etc. involved. The concept - a backpack - is great. This fits its target audience and is age appropriate. One judge commented: "I like it because it could have been done cheesy, but it wasn't. The concept makes me want to dig into it."

Gold Medals

Goldsmiths University of London

• The covers draw you in. Great color photography. Beautifully designed. Makes you want to pick these up and slowly go through them. Very impressive; the details were here.

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

• Terrific. Cool! Interactive nature draws the reader in. Just a minor point: make the glasses more noticeable; they were almost missed, tucked into the back pocket. A 3-D Web site would make this an even stronger concept. One judge said, "I'm a sucker for 3-D."

Trevecca Nazarene University

• This was a complete campaign. It reaches people at many different levels. Their goal was to make this much more than a Christian school, and they did it. The inspirational text messages fit the audience. Well executed. Love the sound card. Nice campaign. Nice use of symbolism. Very reasonable budget; they pulled it off beautifully.

Silver Medals

Augsburg College

• The field guide is a nice concept. Very creative. Like the hands-on, interactive aspect. It's got pieces within the piece; very engaging. Parking pass and coupons are nice add-on. This college took advantage of things they have on their campus and made them into perks - window stickers, sports tickets, etc. This campaign helps to make you comfortable before you get on-campus. Nice quality. We love incentives! Not too much copy; good.

Duke University

• Very nice. Beautiful. Best photography of all the entries. Exquisite; great production quality. If a parent or prospect was interested in a high-quality school, this is what they would expect. They're fortunate to have such an extensive budget. One judge said, "This piece reeks of quality." The judges debated on whether they liked the insert book, essential information for first year students.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Electrical Engineering Department

• Concise. Ties into their Web site. Web and print work together nicely. High quality piece; beautifully designed. Nice photography. Great typography. Very low budget; very impressive. Did a lot with a little. Web site is awesome!

Bronze Medals

Chestnut Hill Academy

• Nice layout. We like that there is something for the parents, something for the students.

Johns Hopkins University

• Accomplishes what it needs to do. Excellent piece. The only distraction - the spiral binding was not necessary; would have been better without.