With a strong post-pandemic job market and an escalating cost-of-living crisis, emerging artists have begun to question the role of a creative master's program. How can you demonstrate the true value of a graduate degree to a group that's scrutinising every return on investment? Not just by saying an MFA is worth it – but showing the 'why'. The campaign needed to speak to the University's multi-disciplinary approach to arts education; its unique ability in market to produce truly industry-ready students.
Letting art speak for itself
Columbia University School of the Arts
Columbia University School of the Arts opens a unique door to the highly competitive creative scene of New York and beyond. It's helped shape award-winning artists, from Kathryn Bigelow to James Mangold to Jennifer Lee, who now make up the University's extensive and impressive graduate network. In the world capital of art, this is where emerging creatives come to experience a life-changing education.
The challenge
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The concept
For the next generation of artists, watching the world go by is not enough. Today's creatives want to do, and change. At Columbia, students are taught to look beyond the canvas, beyond the lens, beyond the curtains. To understand why they pick up a pen in the first place, why certain pieces just stick with them, and why every big picture has an even bigger one. We expressed this idea of artistic action through a mixture of impactful visuals taken directly from student-produced work and bold typography. A refined, clean design that dials up Columbia's position as an Ivy League and highlights the larger role of the arts in our world.
“It has been such a relief to have Hybrid take over our admissions advertising this year. Their broad expertise in design, media plans, and UX/UI makes them a full service agency unlike many others. Not only are they able to manage the entire admissions advertising effort from start to finish, but they’ve also taken unprecedented time to get to know us and our brand.”
The impact
Creating awareness through ads across different social platforms, we were able to promote the real-life art being produced at Columbia, from impactful statics to inspiring motion. Leveraging peer-to-peer formats on social media, such as Instagram stories and YouTube, we helped build an affinity with multiple audiences looking to further their careers within the creative industries.
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