Let’s be Real

Let’s be real – Bournemouth University Clearing Campaign

A multi-channel campaign built on honesty and audience insight, designed to cut through traditional university marketing during a high-pressure recruitment period.

I led the creative direction for Bournemouth University’s Clearing campaign, responsible for concept development, messaging, visual storytelling, and delivery across multiple channels.

The campaign delivered:

+61% increase in Clearing website visits (year-on-year)
+12% increase in brand search volume
Increased engagement across digital channels
Stronger upper-funnel awareness through integrated media activity

The Challenge

Clearing is one of the most competitive and time-sensitive periods in the university calendar. Prospective students are making fast, high-stakes decisions, often under pressure and uncertainty.

The challenge was to create a campaign that would stand out in a crowded market while building trust and connection with prospective students.

Insight & Research

Audience and market research highlighted a shift in behaviour, with more students choosing to study closer to home, alongside a strong need for reassurance around student experience and support.

Through cross-functional workshops and student engagement sessions, three key themes emerged:

Lifestyle
Student experience and support
Career readiness

Student workshops also revealed deeper concerns around belonging, anxiety, and uncertainty, highlighting a gap between traditional university marketing and real student experience.

The Idea – “Let’s be real”

In response, I developed the campaign concept “Let’s be real” – a more honest and relatable approach that reflected genuine student experiences.

An earlier concept, “Truth be told”, was tested but did not resonate with the audience. By refining the messaging and retesting, we identified a stronger, more authentic tone that aligned with how students actually communicate.

This approach allowed the campaign to cut through more traditional, polished messaging and build trust through authenticity.

Execution

I led the development and delivery of the campaign across a wide range of touchpoints, ensuring consistency while adapting content for different platforms and audiences.

Channels included:

Website and Clearing landing pages
Social media campaigns
Email journeys across the recruitment funnel
Paid media, including YouTube and digital advertising
Out-of-home placements in key locations

In total, we generated 80+ content ideas, ensuring flexibility and relevance across platforms.

University website and emails

Social Media and paid for advertising

OOH (Out-of-home) advertising examples at Dolphin Centre, Poole and West Quay, Southampton, Shopping Centres

Film & Storytelling

A key part of the campaign was the use of video and motion to bring authentic student stories to life.

I led the creative development of film content, including:

Storyboarding key narratives
Directing shoots and shaping visual storytelling
Briefing and collaborating with external production teams

All content was designed to feel natural, relatable and aligned with the campaign’s honest tone.

Animation explainers

This animation explains what Clearing is. I created the elements in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator and then animated and built the sequence in After effects.