Client: Seattle University
Role: Creative Director
Scope: Brand Strategy, Campaign Development, Visual Identity, Video Production, Digital Experience, Social Media, Paid Media
Overview
To celebrate and promote the landmark acquisition of Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University, we developed and led a comprehensive creative campaign under the unifying message:
“Two Seattle Icons, One Powerful Future.”
This initiative brought together two legacy institutions requiring cohesive storytelling, seamless branding integration, and a strong multi-channel rollout strategy.
Objectives
- Announce and celebrate the acquisition publicly and creatively
- Integrate the Cornish brand into the Seattle University ecosystem
- Build excitement among students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community
- Provide a consistent visual and narrative experience across all platforms
Creative Deliverables
Brand Identity
- Designed a refreshed logo system and brand guidelines for Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University
- Unified Cornish’s digital properties (Cornish.edu, Cornish+, and Alumni pages) with Seattle U branding
- Updated universal headers, footers, and navigation across platforms
Website Experience
- Added prominent homepage banners and video embeds on both SeattleU.edu and Cornish.edu
- Integrated Cornish into SeattleU.edu’s global navigation
- Updated legal, academic, and program pages to reflect the acquisition
Sample of Creative Deliverables
Hero Video Campaign
- Concepted, directed, and launched the main campaign video around the theme
“Two Seattle Icons, One Powerful Future” - Deployed across all SeattleU and Cornish digital platforms, including homepage takeovers
Public Relations & Media
Media Outreach
- The department produced a press release announcing the official acquisition close
- Coordinated a centerpiece story in the SeattleU Newsroom
- Secured Seattle Times coverage: both editorial interview and a full digital ad campaign
Paid Media Placements
- Morning News Brief newsletter sponsorship
- Homepage takeover on SeattleTimes.com
- Display ads and social media targeting via Seattle Times Digital
Social Media Strategy
- Coordinated an all-platform announcement across SeattleU and Cornish channels
- Created a collaborative Instagram post to reach both communities simultaneously
- Partnered with individual SeattleU colleges for tailored creative—each featuring a split-image design combining college-specific visuals with Cornish art
- Engaged internal stakeholders and college partners to amplify the message and extend organic reach
Results
- During there launch there was a huge uptick in engagement for the SU website and Cornish website which resulted in a percentage of users taking action for key events.
- There was also an increase in engagement on the social channels with 1,473 total engagements, 892 reactions, 37 comments and 138 shares.
Campaign Summary
- The Seattle Times morning brief, ROS banners, homepage takeover, meta ads and LinkedIn ads delivered well above their usual clicks and LinkedIn had a strong CTR compared to benchmarks.
Impact
This campaign successfully united two historic Seattle institutions under a single, forward-looking creative narrative. Through strategic messaging, bold visuals, and deep collaboration, the campaign welcomed the Cornish community into Seattle University while honoring its legacy.
