Antioch University McGregor

Most people couldn’t differentiate McGregor from Antioch College, its sister school, even though McGregor was thriving and the College was considering closing its doors. McGregor needed to make a statement. To define itself and its students on their own terms.

Bing Design worked with McGregor to design an advertising campaign that featured real students. Through photography, McGregor was able to show how its students were different from the young, progressive college students that “Antioch” conjured in the public’s mind. The campaign used a storytelling approach, delivered from the voices of its students. In ads and other media, students talked about going back to school and writing the next chapter of their lives. The campaign tagline, “What Will Your Story Be?”, encouraged prospective students to consider where they might go next – and how McGregor could help. Bing helped McGregor to extend the campaign online and in radio.

• Web site: A campaign-specific web site was created to further develop the students’ stories. Online, prospective students could learn more about the stars of the ads – viewing their curriculum, additional pictures, and reading in-depth Q&As.

• Online advertising: McGregor also added online advertising to its traditional print buys. Online ads linked readers directly to the campaign web site.

• Radio: Snapshots of the students’ stories were turned into 30-second radio spots. Candid answers to interview questions were used as the content – adding credibility and personality to the spots.

Only three months after implementation, McGregor’s inquires have increased over the prior year and applications are on-track – despite frequent news coverage about Antioch College and its uncertain future. People are seeing the difference.