Aiming Higher and Reaching Further
As the world grows more complicated by the day, the problems we face become that much greater. For universities trying to solve these massive challenges, the stakes have never been higher. To succeed, they must expand beyond their traditional donor base to reach individuals with no prior Duke affiliation. For these prospects, Duke is one institution among many, so they must demonstrate why they’re uniquely equipped to tackle issues like climate change, AI, and cancer research.
Why choose one of the world’s most prestigious universities?
The truth is, many universities, institutions, and non-profits are all fighting the same fight. With the same passion and purpose. So, if the “what” and the “why” are similar across the board, how do you convince donors that your institution is worthy of their support? For Duke and Duke Health, it came down to demonstrating how they were the one institution uniquely equipped to get the job done. To help accomplish this, we grounded the campaign in the values and shared spirit of Duke’s community. Those attributes included:
• We are outrageously ambitious
• We win as a team
• We always look for the “yes”
• We want to do the work
But these principles didn’t just define Duke, they also served as an invitation to unaffiliated donors, reinforcing that they were also “one of us.” The kind of people who share those same values and are committed to making a real, lasting difference.
Connecting everyone through an iconic symbol.
The campaign’s identity system was inspired by the passageways that are ubiquitous in the school’s architecture. It subtly hints at the connections made across disciplines, academic institutions, and community partners. The campaign line, Made for This, was more than a tagline, it became a rallying cry – signaling that Duke was not only ready for this moment in time, they also had the optimism, ambition, and tenacity needed to tackle the world’s toughest problems.
Creating a family resemblance.
Sullivan was tasked with creating an entirely new campaign microsite on WordPress for the university at large, and also applying the campaign to an existing Drupal platform for Duke Health. While the two sites needed a consistent thread, they also had to be optimized to stand on their own. Cousins, not siblings. With vastly different teams and deployment processes, this quickly became an exciting, albeit technically challenging, assignment. By leaning into the campaign identity and carefully adapting UI to fit each audience, Sullivan was able to create continuity and a unified user experience on two different sites.
