A soft revolution brought hard results: applicant numbers grew by 17% despite fierce competition
Competition among higher education institutions for applicants has intensified as age groups shrink and populations concentrate in growth cities. Simultaneously, continuous budget cuts erode confidence in the working world, in an environment where everything else also appears to be unstable.
Our task was to design a distinctive and bold campaign that would transform Humak's unique expertise and values into a compelling force, motivating applicants to take action.
At the core of the strategy was the understanding that it is vital for young people to feel part of a community and something greater than themselves, as the experience of belonging and the opportunity to influence society significantly impact their well-being (THL 2023).
At the same time, our performance-driven society emphasizes success and the continuous pursuit of perfection. There's a constant pressure to be better, achieve more, and be tougher in a world where nothing is ever enough. This exhausts young people, creating a sense of powerlessness and the feeling that they have no opportunities to influence the future.
Fortunately, Humak offers young people a humane community where everyone can participate in building a sustainable future.
The campaign needed to invite young people to be part of positive change. However, no change happens in a vacuum; it requires active participants. Someone willing to champion soft values. Someone who challenges our culture's prevailing performance-driven mindset and continuous pursuit of success, offering humanity and equality as a counterbalance.
This gave rise to the concept Soft Revolution. Its core message is clear: A tough world needs more soft values.
The visuals utilized themes playfully referencing revolutionary imagery. Humak's own students served as models.
At the heart of the campaign is a promotional video optimized for social media and digital channels . Although most of the media space used would be in portrait format, the video was shot horizontally so that more tactical, program-specific versions could also be cut from it. The solution was cost-effective, as four different versions could be produced from a single video.
To support the campaign, we wrote Soft Revolution -manifesto, which was promoted through advertising. Additionally, in the spirit of revolution, the campaign's message was expressed as soft graffiti painted in the snow.
The campaign was executed with a strong digital focus on the channels where the target audience spends their time. It was also visible on DOOH surfaces in the key growth centers.
Our goal was to get young people to choose Humak in the joint application process, and we succeeded exceptionally well: the number of applicants grew by 17.3% compared to the previous year, despite a challenging competitive environment.
Compared to the previous year, the numbers increased for both total applications and first-choice applicants.
