Why is this work relevant for Direct?

Every year high school students are bombarded by university recruitment campaigns. So, while other universities showed students a perfect future, Monash University showed one plagued by problems. We introduced students to A Future Without Change, giving them a glimpse into what our world could become if we merely adapt to the issues, we face instead of changing them. With the help of each faculty, we created 17 products that shouldn’t exist. These were brought to life through a multi-sensory campaign that the public could touch, hold, smell, taste and interact with

Background

When it came to Monash University’s 2019 recruitment campaign we were faced with a huge challenge: how do we get graduating high school students to apply to Monash when they were being bombarded by messages from other universities? While other universities were chasing quotas of enrolments, Monash university needed to recruit young people who shared our philosophy of making positive change. If we did our job well, we wouldn’t have to tell prospective students why they should choose Monash: they’d get it.

Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)

We introduced students to A Future Without Change: a glimpse into what our world could become if we merely adapt to the issues we face instead of changing them. A solution that brought a future of inaction to life for people to experience today – in all its dystopian and provocative glory. With the help of each faculty, we created 17 products that shouldn’t exist – each based on a real problem that Monash researchers are working to solve, as well as courses students can study to help make change. Digital OOH, online films and social posts featuring our products drove students to our activation events, one held at our campus and another at Federation Square in the heart of Melbourne. Here they experienced the physical products in custom-built environments and further interacted with them through an immersive VR experience.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

There are a handful of key "what if?" moments throughout our lives... where the decision holds the potential to dictate the trajectory of the rest of our lives. hat you decide to do after high school, and what impact you want to have on the world is a major 'what if?' moment. We needed to show our audience that choosing Monash could not only change the course of their life... but also impact the future of our world. Monash decided that it was time to get real. Rather than candy coat the future, we would show what it would look like if we all sat back and let it run its course. Sometimes the only way to change for the better is to face our worst nightmares, by doing this we knew our provocative message would reach a wider audience and create greater discussion.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

With the help of each faculty, we created 17 products that shouldn’t exist – each based on a real problem that Monash researchers are working to solve, as well as courses students can study to help make change. The campaign launched 3-4 AUG 2019 at Monash Open Day, with an additional activation at Fed Square 19-20 NOV 2019 where students experienced the physical products in custom-built environments and further interacted with them through an immersive VR experience. The campaign was supported by digital OOH, online films, social posts and ongoing VR experiences.

List the results (30% of vote)

By showing a future that shouldn’t exist, we helped recruit and inspire the next generation to change it. Over 12,000 people engaged across two activations.  We reached a concentrated target audience of 95K through social videos and posts.  Preliminary results from our Open Day activation showed that 24.6% of student visitors registered to a faculty. This resulted in our most successful recruitment campaign ever, making Monash the No.1 Preference University in the country. Over and above all the KPIs and numbers, Monash was able to continue to draw that line in the sand between what they stood for, and what the safe territory the rest of the category was playing in. A Future Without Change made it clear that Monash isn’t looking for students, they’re rallying people who share their passion for changing the world for the better.