University of Bedfordshire came to us with their ambitious "Career Powered Education" campaign and a challenge that every university marketing team faces: "How do we show prospective students what happens after they graduate?" Most university videos follow the same playbook-happy students on campus, lecture halls, libraries, graduation ceremonies. But we wanted to create something different. They needed a hero recruitment video that would work across VOD advertising, cinema, and social platforms, proving that their graduates don't just get degrees-they get careers that matter.
The Strategic Challenge
A recruitment video that stands out.
Create a recruitment video that stands out in a sea of identical university marketing. Show real career outcomes. Make it work everywhere from cinema screens to TikTok feeds. And oh, by the way, make sure it actually drives applications during the crucial clearing period.
The Magic
Flipping the script.
The traditional approach would have been safe: students in labs, campus shots, maybe some graduation footage. But that tells the story of university, not the story of what comes after. We needed to flip the script entirely.
Our Creative Solution
Real Graduates, Real Careers
Instead of asking "What does university look like?" we asked "Where do our graduates actually work?" We found UoB alumni thriving in their careers and filmed them in their actual workplaces—from Luton Airport operations to cutting-edge industry facilities.
Organic Campus Integration
Rather than forced campus tours, we wove university scenes naturally into each graduate's story, showing the specific facilities and experiences that directly contributed to their career success. Every lecture hall and lab had a purpose in the narrative.
Aspiration Over Education
The film became less about studying and more about arriving-professionally, personally, successfully. We positioned university as the launchpad, not the destination.
Multi-Asset Strategy
Beyond the hero film, we created individual student profile videos diving deeper into each graduate's journey. We also developed an idea of the students transitioning from their university selves - to where they are now, perfect for quick, engaging social content. Meaning much more value from every shoot day.
01
Research & casting
We worked with UoB to identify graduates whose career stories would resonate with their target audience-real people doing meaningful work in diverse industries.
02
Location strategy
Each shoot location was chosen to showcase both the graduate's current success and connect back to their university experience. This wasn't just about pretty pictures; every frame had to advance the narrative.
03
Authentic storytelling
No scripts, no corporate speak. We let the graduates tell their own stories, capturing the genuine enthusiasm and pride that comes from career fulfillment.
04
Technical execution
Crafted for multiple platforms from day one-cinematic quality for big screens, optimised cuts for social feeds, with consistent messaging across all versions.
Our ad ran just before Jess Glynne entered the stage... It looked fantastic on those 10-meter high screens. Tens of thousands of local people will see this, including many University employees which will be great for moral.
Bob Cozens - Director of Recruitment
Results That Matter
62,000+ YouTube views and counting-impressive reach for university recruitment content.
But the real validation came from Director of Recruitment Bob Cozens after the campaign launched at the Bedford Sessions festival: "Our ad ran just before Jess Glynne entered the stage... It looked fantastic on those 10-meter high screens. Tens of thousands of local people will see this, including many University employees which will be great for morale." The video shared the stage (literally) with Avril Lavigne, Tom Jones, Pete Tong, James, and Nile Rodgers-and held its own on those massive festival screens alongside major brand sponsors.
A Growmotion-powered impact.
A university recruitment video that people actually wanted to watch, proving that when you focus on outcomes rather than inputs, education marketing becomes career marketing.
Why it worked so well
This wasn't just another university video because it wasn't really about university at all. It was about career transformation-something that matters to every prospective student making one of the biggest decisions of their life. By showing graduates in their element, doing work they love, we created something more powerful than any campus tour.
Art Direction
Shoot
Editing
Compositing
