University launches Beyond Business campaign
The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is tearing up the rule book on how we perceive the world of business in a new campaign aimed at putting creativity and individuality at the heart of what makes a good business leader.
UCLan has teamed up with creative agency Wash Studio to launch its Beyond Business campaign, which challenges people to re-think how we operate in business by looking beyond the boundaries of a traditionally corporate and conservative culture, to one that embraces a broader view of what it means to run and work in business.
It seeks to establish UCLan’s School of Business as alternative to more traditional university business schools, where students are encouraged to push the boundaries, be creative and focus on benefitting people and society.
"UCLan has a modern vision of business and enterprise that encourages students to be entrepreneurial, to forge strong relationships with community organisations and discover perspectives on ethical business practice. "
— Head of the School of Business, Louise McArdle
Featuring current UCLan students, the Beyond Business campaign works across four message pillars; connected, entrepreneurial, personal and responsible.
It showcases the real stories of six students with very different backgrounds and reasons for studying a business-related course; Jess, who grew up in a family of business owners, Matt, who was inspired to study accounting and finance thanks to a part-time job, business and marketing student Mason, who has completed a wealth of extra-curricular activities to benefit his studies, international tourism management student Zain, who had an exciting internship with a cruise company, Romesa, who was inspired to study international hospitality management after a work placement at the Ritz-Carlton and Chantelle, who wants to use her business and human resource management degree to champion disability employment rights.
"We’ve set out to show that working in business can be creative and doesn’t always have to be conformative."
— Head of the School of Business, Louise McArdle
UCLan is the top university in the north of England for producing start-up businesses, and fifth overall in the UK, so reflecting this entrepreneurial spirit was also a key element to the brief.
The campaign kicked off with digital advertising on Whatuni and is led by a montage video, featuring current students, which is colourful and fast-paced, leading with the message ‘because business isn’t an exclusive world to break into. It’s yours to create.’
In addition, it includes a campaign website, subject specific videos and a range of digital and physical marketing collateral.
The Head of the School of Business, Louise McArdle, said: “We’ve set out to show that working in business can be creative and doesn’t always have to be conformative.
“UCLan has a modern vision of business and enterprise that encourages students to be entrepreneurial, to forge strong relationships with community organisations and discover perspectives on ethical business practice. We wanted to reflect that in the campaign. It’s bright, colourful and fun and, importantly, shows that taking a unique approach is the new way to do business.”
"The concept we ran with is bold and unapologetic, but importantly it features real UCLan students, their stories, and the impact they are already having on the world of business."
— Lynsey Thompson, Managing Director at Wash Studio
Lynsey Thompson, Managing Director at Wash Studio, added: “As a local business it’s great to be able to work with the University of Central Lancashire to support their School of Business recruitment campaign. We created a concept using film at the heart of it to give stand out in the marketplace and deliver more engagement. This campaign will also appeal directly to those who perhaps had previously thought a business degree wasn’t for them, challenging the more corporate perceptions of business courses.
“The concept we ran with is therefore bold and unapologetic, but importantly it features real UCLan students, their stories, and the impact they are already having on the world of business.”
The UCLan Beyond Business campaign is available to see on the University's website and the montage video is available on YouTube.