From the Nominator

In March 2020, the University of Toronto activated its crisis and emergency framework to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost overnight, more than 6,300 classes moved to remote delivery, and the majority of the university's staff and faculty began working from home.   

   

University of Toronto communications recognized that these unprecedented times meant traditional ways of communicating with our audiences–particularly our internal audiences of staff, faculty and students– were no longer sufficient. We decided to use this crisis as an opportunity to innovate, create new products, and engage with our community more than ever before.   

   

Anchoring this effort was the development of a new communications strategy: UTogether2020. Moving beyond keeping our community informed about the rapidly evolving situation, our goal was to help them feel more connected just as we were told to stay apart.   

   

From a new online hub hosting the most up-to-date information, to the publication of 620 news stories and the creation of a podcast series that became one of Canada’s must-listen-to series (with more than 1.8 million views/listens), our communications focused on richer, deeper storytelling that showcased our caring community, and provided timely and transparent information in the most accessible way.  

   

A brand logo with the “T” hugging the “U” for “U of T,” became a symbol of our entire strategy, showcasing the compassionate side of our community, the resiliency of our students, and the university’s efforts to make supports available for all.

From the Judges

The outcomes of this campaign were very impressive, as uniting campuses and students at large institutions is always quite a challenge. This was a lot of work, but had good results—especially considering the small budget. The new logo was very clever and sweet, speaking to the campaign’s desire to unite so many students in the institution, and the video about the efficacy of the campaign was exciting and high-energy.