Going Back To Get Ahead
Re:Degree
THE ASK
Can you help us name, brand, and market our never-been-tried-before program to help people in Spartanburg County, SC who earned some college credit but never graduated return to school and finish their degree? Oh, and can you make sure it resonates with the general public, doesn’t look like a typical college or “back to school” brand?
This was the ask of Spartanburg, SC’s chamber of commerce. Challenge accepted.
THE OUTCOME
This project was SLANT at its best: deep client collaboration, rigorous research, detailed strategy, and our award-winning creative team. The name, brand story, visual identity system, and campaign strategy helped Re: Degree launch to widespread acclaim and excitement across Spartanburg County. The program is meeting its benchmarks in helping students go back to finish what they started. In the process, Re: Degree is helping hundreds of people access new opportunities while boosting the local workforce and economy.
WHAT WE DID
Naming
Brand Identity
Strategic Marketing
Advertising
Video Production
NAME STRATEGY
A great name makes things memorable, easy to discuss, and shareable, which makes word-of-mouth spread even faster.
The client’s original name, Unfinished Business, had a clever ring but placed focus on the past, positioning it more of a chore than a dream.
We wanted to shift the focus to forward momentum, not unfinished tasks, as a way to reignite students’ passions. Enter Re: Degree—inspired by email subject lines, it reflects an ongoing conversation and support about finishing what you started. It’s sharp, forward-looking, and instantly recognizable..
THE COLORS
We carefully consider a brand’s color palette from the outset to ensure it’s relevant, flexible, and exudes the brand’s personality. In this particular case, we avoided typical ‘collegiate’ color palettes in favor of something much more bold and bright. This approach is more representative of the participant’s nontraditional path back to college.
THE BRAND
To further the idea of “Re: Degree” conceptually representing an ongoing back and forth support regarding a participant’s degree, the logo mimics the action of highlighting the text with a cursor as if to call attention to its importance. The bold font gives visual weight but the curvatures keep it soft and approachable.
THE EXECUTION
The new brand’s visual flexibility and attention-grabbing color palette allowed campaign executions to have a huge variety while still maintaining visual consistency between each piece.
We created messaging that is straightforward but informative, placing a focus on the students themselves. From social media to billboards and digital ads, the campaign focuses on the real stars of Re: Degree – the people realizing their dreams.
