BRANDING
CAMPAIGNS

Northern Kentucky University

Transforming NKU's brand identity and creating differentiation in a fiercely competitive higher education market

While well known in the region, Northern Kentucky University partnered with Hyperquake to revitalize their brand and create distinction in their marketing strategy to stand out among local competition.

We developed a strategic brand foundation and omni-channel campaign, "Real Ambition - Real Success," designed to resonate with their diverse target audiences. By unifying verbal and visual communications, the campaign highlighted NKU's inclusive and ambitious spirit. Media activations spanned print, digital, and on-campus channels, ensuring broad reach and engagement. The cohesive strategy positioned NKU as a distinctive, welcoming institution, setting the stage for sustained brand evolution and success.

OUR ROLE
Strategy & Planning
Positioning
Brand Identity
Narrative & Storytelling
In-Market Strategy & Execution
Launch / Awareness Campaigns
Growth Strategy
COLLABORATORS
Aaron Conway - Photographer
Throughout social, digital and experiential executions of the campaign, we explored the balance of Ambition (emotional) and Success (rational) creating a versatile messaging system that allowed the university to appeal to the hearts and minds of prospective students while also providing a natural avenue to showcase impactful achievements and statistics.
To future-proof this campaign, we developed a toolkit of cohesive design and messaging matrices for their internal teams to easily scale the visual identity and messaging strategy across future marketing efforts and audiences.