i am crookston
Digital enrollment campaign 'Major in the Making of You' and visual identity system for University of Minnesota Crookston designed to increase awareness and drive prospective student inquiries.
Digital enrollment campaign 'Major in the Making of You' and visual identity system for University of Minnesota Crookston designed to increase awareness and drive prospective student inquiries.
project type:
Brand & Campaign Design
year
year:
2020–2021
my role
my role:
Art Direction and Design
client
client:
UMN Crookston
project credits:
Terri (Creative Direction) · Mandy Stephens (Copy) · Nicole Vega (Project Direction) · Jonah Duval + Tyler Conwell (Art Direction and Design)
results
37%
37%
37%
above industry benchmark email open rates
above industry benchmark email open rates
above industry benchmark email open rates
5,653
5,653
5,653
prospective student inquiries
prospective student inquiries
prospective student inquiries
setup
The University of Minnesota Crookston faced a decade-long enrollment decline. Despite strong recognition of the UMN "M" statewide, prospective students—especially in rural communities—were unaware a UMN education existed in their region. The challenge: How do you persuade rural students to consider a college they've never heard of?
The institution was navigating significant change. It had recently adopted new enrollment systems, entered digital advertising for the first time, and was managing COVID-19's effects on recruitment. This campaign would establish a baseline for all future marketing efforts and needed to reach high school juniors and seniors, parents, working adults, and online learners (ages 17–34) across digital display, email, out-of-home, and website touchpoints.
insight
The insight was direct: education at Crookston isn't just about choosing a major—it's about discovering who you are and creating your own path. This became the campaign message: Major in the Making of You.
The visual strategy subverted brand convention. The University of Minnesota "M" became a dynamic frame—not a static lockup. Inside it, we placed close-up imagery representing student life and the Crookston region: agricultural landscapes, horse saddles, vibrant street art, people, farm imagery. The formal "M" contrasted with expressive, individual imagery inside it, creating a window into each student's potential.
This required pushing back on Crookston's brand standards, which prohibited visual elements inside or touching the "M." We showed precedent—Coke, Jeep, Nike—and the university agreed. The text treatment read "I AM" above and "CROOKSTON" below, satisfying spacing requirements while maintaining the personal, identity-forward message.
setup
The University of Minnesota Crookston faced a decade-long enrollment decline. Despite strong recognition of the UMN "M" statewide, prospective students—especially in rural communities—were unaware a UMN education existed in their region. The challenge: How do you persuade rural students to consider a college they've never heard of?
The institution was navigating significant change. It had recently adopted new enrollment systems, entered digital advertising for the first time, and was managing COVID-19's effects on recruitment. This campaign would establish a baseline for all future marketing efforts and needed to reach high school juniors and seniors, parents, working adults, and online learners (ages 17–34) across digital display, email, out-of-home, and website touchpoints.
setup
insight
insight
Campaign ad
UMN 'M'
Execution
The campaign launched across connected touchpoints. Email campaigns featured the "I AM CROOKSTON" lockup with different imagery variations, performing consistently above industry benchmarks. Digital display ads (300x250, 728x90, 300x600, 160x600, etc.) used performance targeting and retargeting, adapting the creative to emphasize online learning as pandemic priorities shifted.
A 10-by-30-foot digital billboard on US 2 near Crookston drove local awareness. A full slate system of conversion-focused landing pages directed students from each touchpoint, with request-for-information forms capturing prospects at peak intent. Supporting templates and digital assets extended the system across the entire customer journey—from initial awareness through inquiry.
Outcome
The campaign established a critical baseline for digital marketing at Crookston and demonstrated the value of continued investment in digital recruitment, particularly as traditional tools became unreliable. The "M" frame system proved flexible enough to evolve with changing priorities while maintaining consistency. Email open rates reached 17.56%—37% above the 12.8% industry average. Website traffic increased 19–32% during campaign periods. The campaign delivered 5,653 visitors to the request-for-information form and 3,966 unique users to the homepage.
The work earned national recognition: Best of Show for Total Digital Marketing Campaign, plus Gold Awards for Total Digital Marketing Campaign, Total Advertising Campaign, and Total Outdoor Campaign (2020 National Award-Winning Campaigns).
Execution
Execution
Outcome
Outcome
e-blast ads
OOH campaign art
