From the Nominator

"Duke Science and Technology (DST) is Duke’s signature effort to elevate excellence in the sciences. We envision a future in which our investments in team-based discovery science and technology reveal new understanding that strengthens our ability to drive positive change for people and our planet.   

To compete with and surpass other top-tier research institutions, DST moves the university forward by investing in one of its greatest assets--its faculty. Every hire of a senior scientist creates an ecosystem that has an exponential impact on opportunities at the university, from grant funding and corporate partnerships to new labs with openings for post-docs, graduate students, and undergraduate research. Every hire of a young rising star in science and technology provides the new perspectives needed to accomplish DST's ambitious aims and change the face of science and technology at Duke and beyond. 

As Duke’s Alumni Engagement and Development (AED) office, it was our responsibility to amplify this new strategic priority for Duke to both alumni and donors, as well as new audiences who may not make a connection between Duke and the sciences (over other peer institutions). AED’s Marketing, Communications, and Stewardship team developed a robust multimedia advertising and marketing strategy to drive site traffic, garner views of our communication tactics, facilitate further education on the new initiative, and deepen target audience engagement. We publicly launched the DST effort in 2021, and it will carry forward as the first pillar of our future university fundraising campaign."

From the Judges

This campaign did a nice job of introducing Duke to new audiences and building the Duke brand to be synonymous with the sciences. The visuals and the strategy were very compelling.