The Client
Recognized among the nation’s top research universities, Lehigh Graduate College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) provides professionals rigorous program offerings across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. These programs equip students to challenge themselves, solve complex problems, and shape the future of their fields.
Well, There’s Your Problem
Lehigh CAS had everything: world-class faculty, advanced research facilities, and academic excellence out the wazoo. What they didn’t have was strong visibility. Too many potential applicants were overlooking the incredible opportunities only Lehigh had to offer. But the difficulty wasn’t just about being seen, it was about standing out. In such a competitive space, Lehigh CAS needed a way to get noticed. Sure, they had plenty of substance, but without a new strategy they risked losing to institutions with a stronger brand presence. It was time to change that.
Unlocking Lehigh’s “Incongruent Advantage”
In a world flooded with graduate options, Lehigh CAS really did offer something different: a place where ambitious minds didn’t have to choose between top-tier research programs and a free-thinking, intimate community of peers and mentors. It wasn’t just another option. It was “the only” in this category that successfully fused world-class academics with a heartfelt community, allowing students to push boundaries while finding a sense of belonging.
We zeroed in on what makes them truly unique: Lehigh exceeds expectations for the most seriously driven professionals BUT caters to passionate scholars who thrive in a free-thinking, liberal arts setting.
This insight became the foundation of our campaign message: Where Brilliance Finds Belonging.
It underscored the importance of community, intellectual curiosity, and the freedom to find your own path. Supporting key messages focused on the primary factors students consider when weighing options, and capitalized on presenting opposites as complimentary:
- Reputation Remarkably Intimate.
Unbelievably Notable. Without a doubt, without compare. - Personal Fit
Brilliance and Belonging—Perfectly Balanced Independent study thrives in strong community. - Location
Easy to Love. Hard to Find Anywhere Else. There is no perfect place to study... but this is close. - Outcomes
Lifetime Pursuit. Immediate Impact. Increasing degrees of greatness.
But the real challenge came in unifying the diverse programs under this vision. With a whopping 10 distinct graduate programs, each targeting different audiences, messaging historically had been fragmented and overly focused on academic details.
We shifted the narrative, placing students at the center and using aspirational, visually rich language that helped them see themselves thriving in their chosen field. This unified approach repositioned Lehigh CAS as an interdisciplinary powerhouse, amplifying its appeal and making it impossible to ignore.
Visual Flavor
Art direction focused on making every interaction feel like a natural extension of the Lehigh experience. Using their established visual guidelines, our graphic elements drew inspiration from the iconic logomark as well as the stunning architecture that defines its historic campus. With buildings dating back to the 1800s and a library recently named one of the world’s most stunning by Architectural Digest, Lehigh’s campus was more than a backdrop—it was a story waiting to be told. We infused this rich history into vibrant, modern graphics, using these versatile elements to frame photography, create new dynamic patterns, and add subtle textures, all while maintaining a cohesive look that honored Lehigh’s past and signaled its bright future.
Strategic Digital Growth
To position Lehigh CAS as an attractive destination for graduate education and boost applications, we launched a targeted paid advertising campaign. Highlighting both the overarching strengths of the college and the distinct advantages of individual programs, we combined tailored messaging, creative, and targeting strategies. Ads were strategically placed across Google, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, ensuring Lehigh CAS captured attention in all the right places. Our campaign ran during the open enrollment periods across two years, encouraging prospective students to apply for the upcoming fall semesters. After gathering rich performance data from the initial campaign, we applied these insights to optimize the following year’s efforts. This included expanding into platforms like Google Performance Max and Instagram Stories, fine-tuning creative based on engagement trends, adjusting bidding strategies, and strategically increasing the budget for maximum impact.
