From the Nominator

At Bristol, we come together to seek fresh perspectives and strive for better. This is what we did with Find your Focus, a campaign that does more than address that university education is transformational. It shows how students thrive when they embrace conflicting influences and opposing ideas. 

Focus was a bold break from tradition–challenging outdated perceptions, disrupting tired conventions and, in doing so, reaching millions of prospective students worldwide. Redeploying resources into digital activity, our marketing team widened its reach, adaptability, innovation, and creativity at a time when the university needed them most. 

The global pandemic changed how we interact with each other, and nowhere is this more true than in higher education: institutions were compelled to evolve their education provision, rapidly. Focus met this challenge at exactly the right time to meet recruitment needs, and reflected Bristol's unique approach in a compelling and authentic way. 

Across digital and print, this multichannel campaign ran for 11 months, confronting the outdated perceptions of red brick unis and targeting new audiences who would not typically consider Bristol. It is invigorating and uplifting, a student’s take on Bristol: the parallels of life, the opportunities for the taking—reassurance of something certain, an appeal to find courage and seek your own way in times of great change. 

Focus was created by people who have found theirs at Bristol. Our students are the heroes, their stories where the richness of our institution lies. Focus is their truth, designed to inspire others to join them.

From the Judges

This campaign was an incredibly well thought-out and executed strategic plan. The concept behind "Find your Focus" was well-researched, and brought to life perfectly. The campaign included students not only in the focus groups, but also in the script writing and production. That was a smart way to ensure the target audience is reached. It was also noted that the City of Bristol was included as part of the community. The design elements of the gradient and the 13 degree edge not only looked great, it gave them that opportunity to show connection. The campaign was very inspirational, well-branded, and a great model for other universities. Video was more unique, which included a music score composed by the students.