The Creative School awarded Grand Gold for rebrand

The Creative School is the recipient of the Grand Gold Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (external link, opens in new window)  (CASE) for the repositioning and renaming of the faculty from the ‘Faculty of Communication and Design’ to ‘The Creative School.’

Each year, CASE recognizes institutions across the globe for excellence in education advancement and communication. Out of more than 4,500 entrees, judges recognized 636 projects with bronze, silver, gold or Grand Gold awards. Only 41 entries, including The Creative School, were selected for Grand Gold awards. 

“This is a testament to the tremendous work the Marketing and Communications teams have put into the rebranding of our faculty, a project I’m proud to have led over the past few years,” says Rana Latif, Director of Strategic Development and Marketing at The Creative School. “Special thanks to Dean Charles Falzon for championing the rebrand, the larger University Relations team at Toronto Metropolitan University for their support throughout the process and to all the Chairs and community members of The Creative School who made this rebranding possible.”  

The repositioning of the faculty came after two years of rigorous research, consultations with industry professionals, and community input that supported the revised brand positioning and comprehensive definition of ‘creativity.’ The rebranding was an essential part of the evolution of the faculty, aimed at sustaining and driving its growth and reputation. 

“Our CASE Circle of Excellence Awards celebrate the creative, resourceful, and innovative ways advancement professionals around the globe champion their institutions’ success. Advancement has never been more important to support and strengthen education,” stated Sue Cunningham, CEO and President, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. “These 2022 Circle of Excellence recipients—from institutions and teams of all sizes and shapes, from regions across the world—showcase how advancement empowers teaching and learning, ignites institutional progress, and helps communities thrive.”

Centred around the concept of creativity and taking ownership of what it truly means to be creative, the Marketing and Communication teams designed a collection of branding materials highlighting the new brand colours and typography, as well as created promotional videos and supplemental assets that showcased successful alumni. The goal was to spark excitement around the faculty’s long history of leadership in the creative industries. 

“To raise awareness about the newly renamed faculty, we created a campaign that excited our community members about the future and set us apart from other educational institutions,” says Ashley Haraburda, Senior Marketing and Communications Manager at The Creative School. “Working with Canadian film director Barry Avrich, we created a dynamic video that encapsulates what creativity means at The Creative School by showcasing and celebrating the amazing alumni this faculty produces and demonstrating how creativity is the most in-demand skill in today’s workforce. 

The team focused on a threefold promotional strategy to raise awareness, optimize traffic and increase reach, which they achieved by creatively using location-target mass media to reach target audiences. The campaign was successful, seeing high levels of engagement, positive sentiments and impressions over social media and sparking a significant jump in traffic to the faculty’s website.

The judges called the rebranding campaign “an exemplary, well-designed branding refresh and launch with proven results.” They went on to say that “the brand launch included a strategic, layered marketing approach with consistency throughout it. The name change made the brand clearer and more concise to appeal to its audience. Overall creative, authentic, and impressive with the team’s budget.”

Learn more at case.org (external link, opens in new window) . 

The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University

The Creative School is a dynamic faculty that is making a difference in new, unexplored ways. Made up of Canada’s top professional schools and transdisciplinary hubs in media, communication, design and cultural industries, The Creative School offers students an unparalleled global experience in the heart of downtown Toronto.