During his 17-year tenure, UCLA’s Chancellor Gene Block has quite simply transformed our institution. He has overseen a period of massive enrollment growth, the diversification of the student body, and huge investments in access and affordability. Under him, UCLA has grown into one of the world’s most research-intensive universities, while experiencing an enormous physical expansion across Los Angeles. Due to his substantial investments in student housing, he transformed the institution from a commuter school into a residential campus. His efforts have led UCLA to become, according to major rankings, the top public university in the entire nation. Given his stature and impact, the August 2023 announcement about Block’s decision to step down as chancellor needed to be approached with great thoughtfulness and care. Our assignment—which we codenamed "Project Jacaranda," a reference to the purple-flowered trees that dot the UCLA campus—was to develop a holistic communications plan to share this bittersweet news with our extended campus community. The result was a well-coordinated, multimodal announcement that used all manner of communications channels, incorporating approaches such as text, video, infographics, timelines, a digital tribute site, multiple interviews, Buzzfeed-esque listicles, collections of writings, and testimonials (including from alumni like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar!) Our efforts celebrated the chancellor and his significant contributions, gave the community a chance to express its gratitude and memories, reassured the public that the university was thriving and ready for future growth, and highlighted ongoing strategic goals during this transitional period.
From the Judges
This was a thorough and well-thought-out storytelling campaign with great use of multiple modes of delivery. Kudos for the dedicated website, and we loved the personal messages section and great photos.
