christian sternal

creative director | copywriter

It’s the flagship university of the 5th largest state in the nation and it found itself with a hill of challenges. Waning enrollment. A fractured identity. It was an institution speaking with many voices, but unified by none. And after over a century of being an affordable, accessible resource for the community, the principal problem solver, health provider and employer in the region, it was being taken for granted rather than valued and respected. No small obstacles, we had our work cut out—but we also had incredible support from all the right people, on and off campus, who knew it was time to mash the reset button. 400 interviews later, one thing became clear. The academic foundation of the university was strong, but campus communities were divided and apathy was rampant. We needed to unify audiences, jumpstart imaginations again and remind everyone that life-changing learning and world-class research happens here every single day. That it’s a place to proud of—where every single person ads to the story, owns what happens here and most importantly that…Each of us, defines all of us. 

It’s the flagship university of the 5th largest state in the nation and it found itself with a hill of challenges. Waning enrollment. A fractured identity. It was an institution speaking with many voices, but unified by none. And after over a century of being an affordable, accessible resource for the community, the principal problem solver, health provider and employer in the region, it was being taken for granted rather than valued and respected. No small obstacles, we had our work cut out—but we also had incredible support from all the right people, on and off campus, who knew it was time to mash the reset button. 400 interviews later, one thing became clear. The academic foundation of the university was strong, but campus communities were divided and apathy was rampant. We needed to unify audiences, jumpstart imaginations again and remind everyone that life-changing learning and world-class research happens here every single day. That it’s a place to proud of—where every single person ads to the story, owns what happens here and most importantly that…Each of us, defines all of us. 

ADDYs, ABQ
Gold – [Albuquerque 30]
Film, Video & Sound Internet Commercial
2017

ADDYs, ABQ
Gold – (Albuquerque 30)
Film, Video & Sound Regional/National TV Commercial
2017

CASE IV Communication Awards
Gold
Video – General Information Long
2017

*The CASE Awards gauge the efficacy and excellence of work created specifically for the advancement/education community. Agencies and creatives who don’t work with brands in the higher education sector may not know about CASE, but for education clients and institutions, they’re a pretty big deal.  

CASE IV Communication Awards
Gold
Video – General Information Short
2017

CASE IV Communication Awards
Silver
Video – Television Spots
2017

Unexpected On Purpose

This brand needed a voice that snapped people out of complacency. So we took the storytelling in an unpredictable direction—gave it a mighty ebb and flow all its own—storyslam-style. Then, to make sure it rang authentic, we asked the Poet Laureate of Albuquerque, spoken word and slam poet Hakim Bellamy, to be the voiceover. He crushed it. 

A Multi-book Viewbook

We wanted the viewbook to send a powerful message—that something different is happening here. So we split it into three separate books and engineered it to be easy to navigate, visually arresting and display cover art that could be assembled to create a single iconic graphic triptych. Unlike anything they’d receive from any other university.

CASE IV Communication Awards
Gold
Design – Viewbooks
2017

CASE IV Communication Awards
Gold
Design – General Institutional Liturature
2017

The copy for this brand was a true labor of love for me. I didn’t want it to read like any other higher ed, so I designed it to be stirring, surprising, personal and wherever possible, I gave it a discernible rhythmic flow. The design language—we supercharged it with rich regional colors, textures, striking shadows and built everything to appear layered and dimensional. Open and alive. 

The Rollout

The new brand was introduced nationwide through TV, online video and social. Print, out-of-home, location dominations, wheatpaste posters, radio, targeted online and mobile display and partner page takeovers followed soon after. And everything drove to a freshly redesigned unm.edu. 

UNM’s main campus is in Albuquerque, NM, where the official elevation is ~5,312.’ Or a mile + 32 feet above sea level. A little higher than “The Mile High City,” Denver, CO. 

Shopping centers are key places where people congregate in New Mexico, so we executed several mall dominations. Everywhere you turned—clean, simple, bold UNM messaging. 

This campaign had it all, including guerrilla wheatpaste-style posters that featured students and faculty. Designed to be displayed singularly or in repetition, they helped highlight and hammer home the principal unifying launch message.

ECD tammo walter  |  MANAGING DIRECTOR megan pomplas  |  CD  david levy  |  ACD/CW christian sternal  |  LEAD DESIGNER harilios  skortis  |  DESIGNER ben biondo  |  ACCOUNT DIRECTOR  jeremy groff  |  ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE scott andreen  |  DIRECTOR of INTERACTIVE ryan blain |  ECD/BROADCAST/DIRECTOR konstantino psimaris  |  ACD/EDITOR max paollucci  |  EXECUTIVE PRODUCER tom ammon  |  PRINT PRODUCER beth julian  |  PROJECT MGR alison carter