Soliciting testimonials from alumni isn't a new way to advertise a university, but this example definitely takes it to a new and charming extreme.
Canada’s Royal Roads University decided to let alumni speak for themselves by physically embedding them in what passers-by assumed to be digital ad kiosks.
In the case study below, the university and agency Cossette Vancouver show how they constructed a special display box that hid a live alumna inside. When people pressed a "Connect" button on the display, a panel dropped down, revealing the actual woman they thought they'd be hearing from digitally.
Some were so surprised that they thought she was a very realistic video or perhaps a robot.
Nothing screams "I love my university" louder than a woman’s willingness to stand in a claustrophobic box all day and talk to surprised strangers. But the clip would obviously be more effective if we saw high schoolers or even parents praising the approach rather than hearing seniors talk about how nice it was to talk to a "real person." Still, I look forward to other inventive executions in this campaign.
CREDITS
Agency: Cossette Vancouver
Client: Royal Roads University
Creative Director: Michael Milardo
Art Director: George Lin
Copywriter: Pierre Chan
Director of Account Services: Chris Miller
Strategic Planner: Ute Preusse
Account Supervisor: Robyn Smith
Account Team: Philippa Groom, Megan O'Rourke
Producer: April Haffenden