The Greatest Good

Cornell university needs very little introduction.

It is a household name, and its graduates have gone on to be Supreme Court justices, Nobel Prize winners, and Broadway actors (to name a few). A confident reputation like this demands equally confident goals, and in 2019 Cornell University embarked on a $5 Billion fundraising campaign — the cornerstone of which was built on Ezra Cornell’s own words:
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“To do the greatest good.”

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Client

Cornell University

Type

Campaign Direction

Year

2021

The Process

How do you tell the story of Cornell?
You get out of the way and let Cornellians speak for themselves.

‍The University has no shortage of remarkable alumni and students who speak eloquently about the impact of higher education. All that we needed to do was create a platform for them to tell their stories.

The Launch

The campaign enjoyed a successful launch, despite plans dramatically changing just a month out: The original plan was an 800-person gala on campus, but given the pandemic, it was decided a virtual event was more appropriate. We immediately shifted to creating assets for a live event to creating video and digital content.

The Results

We created a seamless worldwide broadcast. Audiences from over 75 countries logged in to view the virtual launch, and our alumni engagement goals were met (and exceeded) with over 200,000 Cornellians participating.