Deakin University has launched its first brand campaign in more than three years, created by The Royals, in a bold response to increased competition and clutter within the university sector.

The integrated campaign, ‘Think Young’, introduces vibrant use of colour to the monochromatic and cluttered University advertising landscape. Drawing inspiration 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 people to use new thinking to create a better tomorrow.

With executions across television, digital video, high-impact outdoor, social media, native and content channels, ‘Think Young’ features 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.

Trisca Scott-Branagan, Deakin University Executive Director of Marketing, said: “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 Royals ECD Nick Cummins added: “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.”

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 prestigious Times Higher Education top 150 under 50. Deakin’s also been awarded the #1 ranking for student satisfaction in Victoria for six years in a row (2010-2015 Australian Graduate Survey).
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

Credits

Agency: The Royals
Executive Creative Director: Nick Cummins
Account Director:  Paige Kilburn
Account Manager:  Navin Arunasalam
Senior Art Director: Tim Holmes
Senior Copywriter: Gareth Sweet
Senior Art Director: Alberto Talegon
Art Director: Joel Utter
Copywriter: Gus Hedstrom
Design Director: Gavin Wright
Agency Producer: Chelsea Nieper
Communications Director: Andrew Reeves

Production Company: The Producers
Director: Andrew Goldsmith
Producer: Noelle Jones
Post Production: Pixel
Music Composition: Dan Luscombe

Photographer: Jay Hynes