University to catch Toronto’s cultural renaissance
In the midst of a period of “strategic growth,” the Ontario College of Art & Design University (OCAD U) has chosen two agency partners to oversee a new outreach campaign.
The Toronto university, which marks its 135th anniversary this year, has selected Endeavour Marketing and PR agency Devon Group to develop an integrated campaign that it says will heighten awareness of its past, present and “richly imagined future.” The agency partners were selected following a formal review.
Endeavour president Barry Avrich said that the agency partners’ objective is to position the educational institute as one of the world’s foremost authorities in the area of art and design while raising awareness of its reputation as a “great creative nucleus.”
The agencies inherit a client that is in the midst of a major transition. It received government permission to include the university designation in its name in June 2010, and in May 2011 introduced a new visual identity created by Bruce Mau Design.
The agencies are currently interviewing key stakeholders such as alumni, faculty and the creative community to get a sense of what OCAD U represents and how to best convey that to the public. Avrich said the first work for OCAD U will likely appear in the fall.
Endeavour COO Tori Lawrence said even though there is an opportunity for OCAD to become a leading authority on design and creativity, there is a “general lack of public awareness” about its accomplishments and contributions. “Part of our objective is to open the doors and bring some of OCAD’s stories to the public,” she said.
Pointing to the refurbishing of cultural institutions such as the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the building of the Four Seasons Centre, Avrich said that Toronto is in the midst of a “cultural renaissance” that OCAD needs to be a part of.
Endeavour has extensive experience in the cultural and educational sectors with clients including the Toronto International Film Festival, Canadian Opera Company and Colleges Ontario, while Devon Group has worked with clients including The Michener Institute and Wilfrid Laurier University.
