Background:
Founded in 1881, Morris Brown College, a historically black college (HBCU), has a proud tradition of serving the educational needs of talented students and providing support to those who might struggle to compete at the college level. The college needed assistance with brand awareness and exposure for its restoration fundraising goals.

Challenge:
After losing accreditation in 2002 due to financial mismanagement and debt, Morris Brown College undertook the monumental task of regaining accreditation. Our goal was to create video content highlighting the reaccreditation, drive 2022 enrollment, and generate national media attention to secure donations and support from alumni and beyond.

Strategy and Execution:
We developed an authentic and impactful campaign combining nostalgic, archival images with fresh footage captured on campus. The campaign included a brand strategy and influencer marketing plan, resulting in a regional commercial. We secured media placements and created a distribution plan, partnering with 22Squared for extensive coverage. The commercial aired 50 times on major Atlanta stations (WAOK, WVEE (V-103), Cox Media: Kiss 104.1, and Praise 102.5) and throughout the southeast on syndicated shows. Morris Brown College also participated as a sponsored vendor at the annual Praise in the Park event.

Results:
The campaign successfully gained national attention for Morris Brown’s “Hard Reset.” The college’s story was featured on southeast affiliates of Fox, ABC, Intercom V103, WAOK, Spotify, Discovery+, Bounce, Cox Media Radio, and Clear Channel Radio. This generated significant buzz, boosted student enrollment, and garnered additional alumni support. Additionally, our work was recognized as a finalist in the education category at the 15th Shorty Awards.