Just West of Ordinary
Colorado Mesa University (CMU) in Grand Junction, Colorado caters to both traditional and adult students. Offering diverse academic programs, CMU fosters academic excellence and personal growth. With a vibrant campus for traditional students and a seamless transition for adult learners through its partnership with Western Colorado CommunityCollege (WCCC).
With CMU’s Maverick spirit of challenging the status quo at the heart of the university, we knew it was time to go off script. Inspired by the motivations of students themselves, the campaign’s high-impact and collage-style creative explored the breadth of hands-on programs and activities available both on and off campus–at a place that is Just West of Ordinary.
The Just West of Ordinary campaign creative aims to establish the university as just that: a place that offers an atypical college experience. Where students collaborate with faculty. Where students start building a life today, not tomorrow.
Emphasizing the dynamic, multi-faceted nature of the University and its audiences, the campaign design approach leverages a thoughtful combination of layered graphic components to achieve a collage-like creative execution.
Crafting concise brand guidelines and visual identity for Colorado Mesa University's "Just West of Ordinary" campaign, ensuring cohesive messaging and impactful marketing materials. Our guidelines capture the university's unique spirit and commitment to excellence, guiding storytelling and design principles in alignment with the brand identity.
Leveraging engaging alumni success stories gleaned from one-on-one interviews, five story-driven alumni profiles were created to demonstrate the tangible, real world value of a degree from CMU. Once the stories launched, they were followed by email and social media promotional campaigns.
CMU's Next 10 initiative offer admitted students an incredible opportunity to experience the vibrant community and endless possibilities of Grand Junction. From exploring the breathtaking landscapes of Colorado's Western Slope to adrenalin inducing skydiving, students can immerse themselves in a region known for its outdoor adventures, innovative spirit, and rich cultural heritage. CMU's Next 10 initiative empowered students to unlock their full potential and create lasting memories in this dynamic corner of the Rocky Mountains.
Learnings from parent focus groups informed development of a 15-page digital handbook to comprehensively guide parents through key points of the admission to enrollment journey, with a focus on delivering the information parents want and need in one place.
Adult students enrolling at CMU are not just buying a degree. They’re making a thoughtful investment in their long-term future. By focusing on the holistic value that the completion of a college degree can provide, we can tap into the power of intrinsic motivation. Reinforcing how a degree at CMU can ultimately change the trajectory of their lives.
