Humber Polytechnic’s new campaign seeks to address the country’s productivity crisis. The initiative, which debuts Humber’s revamped brand platform, represents the institution’s largest media investment in several years.

Dubbed “The You You Knew Was In You,” the campaign centers on a 60-second video depicting students’ transformative journey of self-discovery. The spot follows students as they envision themselves as assured, emerging professionals and is set to an original song performed by students and alumni.

Push Media leads the media strategy, which includes a full takeover of Toronto’s Sankofa Square (formerly Dundas Square), billboards with real lighting effects highlighting Humber students, ads in Cineplex theaters and on social networks, experiential activations across Humber campuses, and full interior and exterior wraps of streetcars and buses on strategically placed routes.

The media agency tells MiC that it used its AI and martech toolkit for audience segmentation and campaign optimization, as well as third-party data for the initial research phase to analyze competitor media strategies, creative performance, and media investments across different channels.

According to the agency, it took a platform-first approacgh, placing creative designed for various channels and audience personas – versus adapting a mass media TV spot for a social channel like TikTok, for example.

Tammy Sadinsky, interim VP of marketing, communications and advancement at Humber Polytechnic, explains to MiC that Humber has a new credit model that allows students to learn inside and outside of the classroom – the model includes new industry-responsive curriculum, a new approach to credit transfer and deeper engagement with employer partners.

With this in mind, the institution wanted to demonstrate that it is evolving its educational model to ensure that students graduate from the right programs with the right experiences to address the productivity crisis. According to Sadinsky, productivity in Canada has been declining for many years, and Humber’s new goal aims to address the issue by bridging academia, industry and government to boost competitiveness and job creation.

The campaign comes at a challenging time for Canadian post-secondary institutions, as the federal government’s recent decision to limit international student intake has created significant financial pressures. Institutions like Humber are now focusing more heavily on attracting domestic students to offset lost revenues previously generated by international enrollments.

The new brand platform also signifies a strategic shift for the institution, departing from its traditional marketing approach focused on showcasing programs and faculty. Instead, Humber opted for an emotionally resonant campaign to connect with a wider audience of students.

“It’s an emotionally compelling rallying cry that says the you you were meant to be is already in you, and at Humber, we’ll be with you every step of the way to sharpen, shine and nurture that you,” Sadinsky says.

The platform aligns with Humber’s “Builders of Brilliance” rebranding campaign last year, which emphasizes the institution’s role in empowering students to unleash their inner strengths and innate abilities amid the country’s productivity crisis.