From the Nominator

"In recent years, Saint Mary’s University has seen tremendous growth and momentum. New additions to the leadership team, a new strategic direction, investment in people resources, and a commitment to telling our success stories have started to yield results, such as a historic donation of $18 million dollars.  

Despite these exciting developments, public opinion indicated that there was uncertainty about our brand and value proposition. Internal focus groups reflected this. It was acknowledged that our faculty, staff, and students were 'punching above their weight,' but there was a lingering sentiment that Saint Mary’s was seen as a ‘starter’ or ‘jock school.’   

Additionally, the visual identity had not been updated in 15 years, and its colonial and religious associations were out of step with the forward-looking work of the university. The time was right to differentiate ourselves in a very competitive marketplace while staying true to the university’s values and traditions.   

When the updated brand was officially launched in 2021, there was widespread support from the university community. We credit the engaged approach we took for this success. By involving our community--the people who bring Saint Mary's to life everyday--and using a consultative approach to identify what made us distinctive, we arrived at launch day with an authentic yet aspirational brand story and platform. 

"World without limits" is a distillation of the best Saint Mary’s University and a call to action as we work toward a future that is inclusive, sustainable, diverse, positive, and resilient."

From the Judges

This institution did a great job walking the fine line between honouring tradition and creating a new brand that resonates with today's students. Their investment in research and discovery and their collaborative/consultative approach with stakeholders resulted in a great campaign that includes strong photography and storylines and feels authentic to the institution.