Greenwich Students' Union
The Student Led Teaching Awards (SLTAs) at the University of Greenwich celebrate staff who make a real difference to students and the wider Greenwich community. GSU wanted as many students as possible to get involved and to receive a good range of nominations for the awards.
For Instagram, they asked me to move beyond traditional marketing and try something new that would both meet KPIs and surpass previous records with a creative idea compelling enough for students to participate immediately.
The main challenge was to create something that would catch students’ attention, as most students usually don’t engage with campaigns in academic contexts. To create a piece of content that would stand out online, I decided to try a different approach, using a lively, abstract style inspired by the idea of ‘thinking outside the box.’
Collaborating with the in-house Photographer, I filmed content featuring students literally popping out of boxes, each holding a banner displaying core SLTA values. Compiling the content into an Instagram reel, the caption stated: “Do you know someone who ticks these boxes and has made a difference to your university experience?” This creative idea turned a simple call to action for nominations into something fun and memorable.
With over 17,000 views, the campaign drove significant engagement. Kingston Students’ Union praised the work, and professors used the reel in lectures with a QR code to encourage nominations, directly linking classroom activity to increased participation. As a direct result of this approach and the wider communications strategy, GSU received a record 616 nominations – 54% more than in 2023 and 23% above the KPI set by the Student Voice and Representation team, clearly demonstrating the campaign’s effectiveness.
