On Sunday, September 4, The Royals will present Deakin University in a way stands out from the crowd and focuses on its progressive and courageous mindset.

The Royals’ campaign, Think Young, will be Deakin’s first brand campaign in more than three years. The vibrantly coloured, streamlined ads are designed to cut through the clutter of increased competition and stand against the advertising that characterises uni advertising.

The Royals executive creative director, Nick Cummins, commented, “We wanted to create a campaign that was a distinct contrast from the rest of the University category. With Think Young, the execution had to feel as fresh and modern as the idea itself. The ability to hero members of the Deakin community who Think Young on a daily basis gives the campaign an authenticity that’s impossible to fabricate.”

The inspiration for the ads came from the Light and Space movement of the 1960s that prefigured today’s merger of art and technology. The campaign uses geometric shapes to represent the problems of the future and encourages new thinkers to create a better tomorrow.

Trisca Scott-Branagan, Deakin University executive director of marketing, commented, “Deakin is a young, vibrant and cutting-edge university with great ambitions, and it’s our people that are the embodiment of our culture and the essence of who we are as a brand. Think Young represents our challenger mindset and aligns our marketing and reputational goals for the future with those of our extraordinary students, staff and Deakin alumni.”

The campaign includes television, digital video, high-impact outdoor, social media, native and content channels. Its ads feature forward-thinking academics, students and alumni to demonstrate Deakin’s commitment to open-mindedness and new ways of thinking.

Among those featured are Alex Smith, a Deakin business & law student; Barun Chatterjee, a photography and International relations major turned international filmmaker; and Professor Ying (Ian) Chen, whose team has manufactured a super-absorbent material called boron nitride nanosheet, described as one of the most exciting advancements in oil spill clean-up technology in decades.

Deakin University is ranked in the top 2% of the world’s universities (Academic Ranking of World Universities, Times Higher Education, QS World University Rankings) and is the #1 University in Victoria under 50 years old, according to the Times Higher Education top 150 under 50.  It has also been awarded the #1 ranking for student satisfaction in Victoria for six years in a row (2010-2015 Australian Graduate Survey).

Credits:

Agency: The Royals
Executive creative director: Nick Cummins
Senior art directors: Tim Holmes & Alberto Talegon
Senior copywriter: Gareth Sweet
Art Director: Joel Utter
Copywriter: Gus Hedstrom

Account director:  Paige Kilburn
Account manager:  Navin Arunasalam
Design director: Gavin Wright
Agency producer: Chelsea Nieper

Production company: The Producers
Director: Andrew Goldsmith
Producer: Noelle Jones
Post production: Pixel
Music composition: Dan Luscombe

Client: Deakin University

Executive director marketing: Trisca Scott-Branagan

Head of brand: Jessica McCartney / Helen Stevens

Campaign manager: Jayde Walker

Brand manager: Sandy Muir

Strategic campaign coordinator: Amy Devereaux