From the Nominator

"Over the course of two years, Hobart and William Smith completed an intensive rebrand project. Nearly 5,000 members of our community were involved in qualitative and quantitative research that led to a refined brand strategy that is both authentic and aspirational.   

A key deliverable upon completion of the brand project was a flagship print piece for prospective undergraduate students. We opted to produce a 48-page viewbook that tells our story by inviting the reader to preview their HWS journey. The copy uses a confident, conversational tone and the design is inspired by student journey-mapping. Every detail in this piece--from the quality of the paper to the engaging photos, the playful language to the promise of a better world--speaks to our identity as an institution and signals our investment in each prospective student recipient.   

With a goal of immediately impacting first-year applications, we mailed a copy of the book to 15,836 senior inquiries in late October, just before our early deadlines. Forty percent of our Early Action applicants and 32% or our Early Decision applicants submitted their application after receiving the viewbook. Forty-one percent of our current applicant pool received the viewbook during our fall mailing and first-year applications are up 40% overall."

From the Judges

We found the Hobart and William Smith piece unique and well-executed. The choices were deliberate and thoughtful. We particularly loved how all of the programs were highlighted in a bold way that was very relevant to the target audience. The call-out boxes added a conversational tone and the intentional decision not to use student profiles were great ways to convey how HWS was a collaborative and supportive educational experience.