How This University Spread a Little Love on Campus
Fostering a community spirit can be tricky, but the students at the American University in Dubai are known for fostering it in abundance. This is why the AUD was determined to do something to give students a reason to be even more invested in their university and keep that passion going. To make this possible, they collaborated with The Creative 9 and the creatives at sticker brand Waggish to create something fun.
Inspired by popular phrases floating around campus, iconic landmarks and significant people, the collaboration resulted in a set of stickers which university students could adorn their bags, lockers and books with – all while showcasing their love of the AUD through some creative flair. What was supposed to be a Valentine’s Day campaign turned into a much larger celebration of campus life. With students keen to get their hands on all of the stickers, the TikTok giveaway video created a catalyst for a bigger campaign than the team originally expected.
To talk us through the idea and execution, the team from The Creative 9 - creative director Rola Ghotmeh, communications manager Yasmina Rajab and community manager Braishna Khan – speak to LBB’s Nisna Mahtani.
LBB> Can you tell us a little bit about what the American University in Dubai was keen to convey with this latest collaboration?
Rola, Yasmina & Braishna> At The Creative 9, we like to push the boundaries, so when our client, The American University in Dubai, approached us with a request for a Valentine’s Day greeting, we immediately saw an opportunity. Valentine’s Day is all about expressing love, and it was the perfect occasion to connect and convert students to AUD’s channels both online and offline. We wanted to go beyond just a greeting and create an engaging campaign that would create a buzz amongst AUD’s brand ambassadors: the students. And what better way to connect with students than stickers?
What started as a TikTok stickers giveaway campaign turned into a sensation. We designed a series of stickers that included core landmarks and iconic figures at AUD. The designs were a way for students to personalise their belongings and express their connection to the university. The strategic launch of the campaign on TikTok served as a catalyst for increasing awareness about the stickers, resulting in a surge in demand for these engaging visual elements.
Students asked for them, shared them with their friends, and placed them around campus.
LBB> When did Waggish first come on board and why were they the perfect collaborator for this project?
Rola, Yasmina & Braishna> While most brands take an approach of celebrating love the traditional way, we saw an opportunity for AUD to show love differently, by celebrating its campus life, its body of staff, and above all its students. We know that stickers are popular with the youth, and found Waggish to be the perfect embodiment of young talent with a lot of potential in the UAE. We approached the founder of Waggish with the opportunity and she nailed the brief. The stickers were a huge success among the students because of how relevant and personalised they are.
LBB> How do the stickers contribute to student morale and create a sense of community at the American University in Dubai?
Rola, Yasmina & Braishna> The AUD is known for its strong sense of community among the students, and even though we all have different university experiences, we also somehow share commonalities. What the stickers did was translate this bond visually, into fun and engaging stickers that allowed every student to boast about their common experiences, spread inside jokes, or share anecdotes, visually.
LBB> Let’s talk about the design process for the stickers. What were some of the key phrases you wanted to include in the collection?
Rola, Yasmina & Braishna> The sticker design process was a collaborative effort aimed at capturing key phrases resonating with the AUD student community. The agency initially identified pivotal moments and insights, including inside jokes, anecdotes, figures, and landmarks meaningful to AUD students. Through collaboration with AUD's team, the most compelling insights were selected and translated into vibrant illustrations by Waggish, matching the campaign's youthful tone. Key phrases, like students' exam approaches and the iconic spoiled campus cat, were seamlessly woven in.
Waggish's pivotal role in choosing the right terms and visuals enhanced the campaign's impact. The stickers were cleverly used as giveaways, serving as an engaging introduction to the collection. TikTok was chosen as the launch platform due to its popularity among AUD students. Additionally, stickers were strategically placed across campus on bulletin boards, laptops, and high-visibility areas, reinforcing community and shared experiences among students.
LBB> When it comes to creating the perfect sticker, what are some of the elements you have to consider?
Rola, Yasmina & Braishna> Crafting the perfect sticker involves several vital considerations. We began with visual appeal, ensuring the design's aesthetics would immediately captivate and hold attention. Following this, we focused on relevance, ensuring that the sticker's content would strongly resonate with the target audience, the students at AUD.
Next, we delved into establishing an emotional connection. We aimed to evoke positive emotions and nostalgia that would foster a deep sense of attachment to the university. Strategic placement emerged as another essential factor. Stickers were carefully positioned in high-visibility areas across campus and launched on TikTok, leveraging digital platforms to achieve maximum impact and reach.
Quality stood as a critical concern. We carefully crafted stickers with high-quality designs and materials, ensuring they would adhere well and maintain their visual appeal on a range of surfaces.
Our selection of key phrases was thoughtfully curated. Phrases such as; ‘Where are you? C2’; ‘UNI MART LEGEND’; ‘This person is trying their best’; were chosen to encapsulate shared experiences. Additionally, phrases like ‘What fills my heart at AUD? Starbucks’, ‘Since, Oct 1, 1995’, ‘Make yourself proud’, and ‘I love AUD’ were carefully selected to embody the pride, dedication and affection that define the AUD community.
LBB> Once the students got a chance to see the stickers, how did they react?
Rola, Yasmina & Braishna> The stickers received an overwhelmingly positive response from students at AUD. On campus, we saw curiosity, excitement and a sense of unity among the student body. Off-campus, we saw virality, an increase in DMs asking for stickers and an overflow of positive comments. The positive reactions from students led to a high demand for these unique stickers, which ultimately resulted in the launch of a second collaboration with Waggish.
LBB> What was the trickiest part of creating the collaboration and launching it?
Rola, Yasmina & Braishna> The trickiest part was planning and executing the strategic distribution of the stickers around campus to create buzz and demand. It required identifying high-visibility areas, timing the distribution, maintaining an adequate quantity, collaborating with campus authorities, monitoring feedback, avoiding over-saturation and ensuring the stickers aligned with the university's brand representation. It was so important to launch the campaign on the right platform, and TikTok was just the right one since it gave the campaign high visibility and virality.
LBB> Can we expect to see any other collaborations from the AUD and Waggish in the future?
Rola, Yasmina & Braishna> We are always open to collaborating with Waggish and other upcoming artists who share our vision and values. We believe that these collaborations are a great way to celebrate the diversity, creativity, and spirit of the AUD community. We hope to continue creating projects that give voice to new talents and connect with the students and enhance their campus experience.
LBB> Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Rola, Yasmina & Braishna> The Creative 9 always seeks to collaborate with upcoming talents and give them the opportunity to shine and showcase their skills through partnerships with reputable brands like The American University in Dubai. We are proud of the trust that our clients have in us, which allows us to do more creative work that doesn’t confine to traditional norms or advertising channels.
