The University of Queensland is in the midst of a $500 million fundraising campaign called "Not If, When—The Campaign to Create Change." Following the success of the first campaign video, UQ produced a second one (completed in February 2019) that featured three new ‘hero’ stories that led narratives for the year, and were promoted throughout the community. The stories are presented in a way that is radically different to usual university communications strategies. In this instance, the institution itself is a secondary consideration within the narrative, while emotion and the impact of the stories are brought to the front. Donors are shown "why" they are inspired to give, and that partnering with an institution such as UQ will help them achieve significant impact in society.
From the Judges
"Not If, When—the Campaign to Create Change" by the The University of Queensland tells the powerful story of lives changed and dreams realized. As judges, we appreciated how the approach to this video was not to celebrate the University, but to celebrate the promise of its people. The three narratives—of a stroke sufferer and researcher, the daughter of an immigrant, and the son of a farmer—are concrete stories that convey a compelling "Why?" for the University's donor audience. When viewed in combination with the cinematography, editing, and music, we were moved by this video, and felt it to be worthy of a Gold award.
