UCLA: Unearthing an Iconoclast Legacy.
Challenge:
Despite being one of the most accomplished academic and athletic universities in North America, significant misunderstandings persisted about UCLA’s impact, costing it the much needed public support it depends on. The University needed to raise new donations, increase admissions and further it’s reputation and standing as an international leader in teaching, research, and service for the advancement of society.
Opportunity:
In just shy of a century, UCLA has achieved, innovated, and accomplished more than most institutions twice its age. It’s where the Internet first blinked to life. Where racial integration began, decades before Brown v. Board of Education. Where Nobel Laureates, Academy Award winners, Fortune 500 executives and entrepreneurs, rock stars and Hall of Famers, inventors and initiators got their start.
Building on a common thread of optimism, we launched a brand platform and star-studded influential campaign featuring film icons James Dean, James Franco, and Francis Ford Coppola; athletes Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Jackie Robinson, and famed UCLA basketball coach John Wooden; plus scientific discoverers from astronaut Anna Lee Fisher to Internet founder Vinton Cerf—all UCLA alumni, and all game-changers in their respective fields.
Results:
Raised $5.1 billion, eclipsing original $4.2 billion goal
36% lift in applications, and is now the most applied to school in the U.S.
#1 top public school in 2020 U.S. News & World Report Rankings
People were directed to The Optimists website where they could engage in deeper storytelling and learn more about the legacy of the school.