THE BRIEF

Create a recruitment campaign aimed at attracting top academic performers to KAUST.

THE OBJECTIVE

Showcase KAUST’s unique selling points (USPs) to appeal specifically to top academic achievers.

THE CHALLENGE

The previous campaign we worked on, "WE FUND YOUR FUTURE", was successful in generating leads and applications. However, these were predominantly from Tier 2 universities in the target markets. Given the tightened application requirements, KAUST needed to attract the highest-achieving students. Additionally, as a relatively new university in Saudi Arabia, KAUST lacks the historical prestige of institutions like MIT, Cambridge, and Oxford.

THE IDEA

#ANEWBREEDOFUNIVERSITY

This new campaign positions KAUST as a "NEW BREED OF UNIVERSITY," designed to capture the attention of top academic performers who are drawn to cutting-edge institutions. The campaign highlights KAUST’s state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, advanced equipment, and interdisciplinary approach, reinforcing its appeal to elite students seeking the best academic environment.

The design showcases the incredible technology and facilities that the audience craves, presented in a contemporary, premium, and uniquely ownable way. This embodies the 'new breed' positioning of science and tech.

The vibrant, dynamic molecular shapes create unique visual standouts and bring the KAUST 'new breed' DNA to life, evoking futuristic lab breakthroughs while also nodding to the KAUST seeds logo design. The copy neatly supports the visuals, reinforcing and repeating the ‘new breed’ positioning to drive viewer recall and curiosity to find out more.

This brand-new concept was rolled out across campaigns for the September 2024 intake and demonstrates not only our creative excellence but also how we continuously challenge clients to ensure creativity remains both fresh and relevant.

RESULTS

The culmination of these efforts has yielded tangible outcomes, including a remarkable 50% increase in leads for 2024 from top QS 150 universities across traditional target markets in addition to emerging markets.

The 2023/2024 digital marketing campaign for KAUST successfully met the goal of generating higher-quality leads through strategic adjustments in creative direction, market targeting, and channel utilization. While the overall cost per lead increased marginally, this was aligned with our focus on attracting top-tier students, thereby reinforcing KAUST's position as a leading global research institution.