See For Yourself Campaign

Villa Maria College is a small school with big aspirations. Facing a crowded and competitive higher education landscape in Western New York, Villa was ready to revisit and refine its brand position and messaging before launching an awareness campaign to reintroduce the College. 

Together, Villa Maria and White Bike created the “See for yourself” campaign. “See for yourself” is a declaration of independence, speaking directly to a student’s desire to make a mark on the world. 

Building on existing typefaces and color palette, White Bike developed a complementary brand kit of unique and colorful shapes to reflect the diversity of the College and its academic programs. Collaged with bold, differentiating brand statements, the communications (literally and figuratively) unfold to reveal the exciting possible paths Vikings can take on the way to inventing who they will become. 

The campaign focused on three core elements. The first to launch was a 30-second TV spot that reintroduced audiences to what makes Villa special: an empathetic understanding of what the average 18-year-old is going through when searching for their college. 

Second, an expressway billboard transformed over three months, with evolving messaging and visual elements being revealed in installments.

Finally, the admissions team was armed with a recruitment brochure.Uniquely formatted, it provides prospective students vivid glimpses of the Villa experience, from program specifics to campus culture to powerful points of difference.