IADT Undergraduate Recruitment Identity & Open Day 2022

The brief for this campaign identified the challenge of recruiting students in the highly competitive third level environment for an institution, located in the Dublin suburbs that didn’t have the brand awareness of bigger competitors. Piquant worked with the IADT marketing and communications team to develop a promotional campaign that would resonate with target audiences and build awareness of the 2022 recruitment Open Day and ultimately lead to student registrations.

The resulting campaign successfully achieved high visibility for IADT across multiple channels, drove very strong engagement across native and advertising channels, and led to high attendance at the Open Day, and an increase in student applications.

Visual identity that captures the student experience

In developing the campaign identity it was important to develop a concept that was future-proofed and would facilitate undergraduate and postgraduate recruitment for a sustained period across multiple channels. The development of this campaign concept began with a period of in-depth research, during which we analysed existing documentation, conducted benchmarking research of the education sector, target audience research, and cultivated continuous dialogue and an open-minded atmosphere with the client. Led by the research, we applied our effective creative development systems to create a design solution that would resonate with students, parents, and other identified audiences. The core message of the campaign, You+, underscored individual creative empowerment while establishing IADT as a sector leader in creative technology.

Social and Digital Marketing Campaign Strategy

We used a multiplex of online and traditional channels, for an integrated campaign approach. This allowed us to reach audiences in the target areas from all sides. The campaign followed the newly developed You+ campaign identity. The campaign achieved all aims and targets set out for Open Day attendance and sign ups. 

Platform specific content

We developed an extensive suite of promotional assets across a wide range of new marketing channels, ensuring high visibility of IADT among audiences in the target locations throughout the campaign. The campaign ran across digital and print platforms, including social media, website, cinema, Out of Home, cinema, broadcast radio, digital audio and press. We created platform-specific content that was bespoke to the demands of each platform while consistently communicating the key campaign messages.

Don’t make ads, make TikToks!

We produced a suite of TikTok content that leaned into TikTok trends and platform specifics and successfully sat into the TikTok feeds of our target audiences, delivering the IADT message in a fresh and relevant social first language. 

IADT’s first ever cinema ad

We produced IADT’s first ever cinema advert, targeted towards students who are applying for higher education through the CAO system. The cinema ad was successfully run in local cinemas to build brand awareness. The cinema content was then re-purposed for social and digital platforms, maximising impact.

Event design

It was important that the campaign identity was creatively applied to the Open Day event. We designed a suite of assets including wayfinding assets, floor vinyls, notice boards and exterior flags, the talks schedule, map flyer, and tote bag merchandise which immersed the audience in the IADT messaging.

Impact

The campaign achieved all aims and targets for undergraduate recruitment and Open Day attendance and sign ups. The campaign saw the development of a large suite of promotional assets across a wide range of new marketing channels, ensuring high visibility of IADT among audiences in the target locations throughout the campaign. In particular, the social videos were a great success – this content proved to be some of the most successful content on the IADT Instagram ever, driving a huge increase in organic engagement and reach, and was also highly effective content for advertising on TikTok and Reels, essential channels for our student audience.