UNCC | Branding
<h2 class="h6">"STAKE YOUR CLAIM" INSTALLATION</h2>
UNC Charlotte asked Tattoo Projects to develop a branding campaign with the goal of generating awareness and pride around the UNC Charlotte experience.
<h3 class="h6">RESEARCH AND DISCOVERY</h>
A three-month, multi-department, 100+ person research study, indicated that applicants and alumni wanted UNC Charlotte to build up the heritage and tradition of the university and the city. Furthermore, students were frustrated that UNC Charlotte was easily confused with Chapel Hill. They wanted to distinguish their school and elevate its reputation.
3 Month Discovery
100+ People Interviewed
<h3 class="h6">TEASER BILLBOARD & FINAL DESIGN</h3>
Tattoo Projects developed a campaign that solved both of the university’s challenges. The campaign was teased with giant pickaxes stuck in billboards throughout Charlotte. The tagline “Stake Your Claim” evokes the heritage of Charlotte’s gold rush origins. It also positioned UNC Charlotte as North Carolina’s most ambitious university. An energetic opportunity-filled educational institution that is building something new rather than resting on past accomplishments.
<h3 class="h6">"GIANT MINER" VIDEO</h3>
The fully integrated campaign promoted UNC Charlotte’s ambition and accomplishments from television to print, digital, and Pickaxe press kits were hand delivered to all local news outlets.
<h3 class="h6">PRESS KIT USB PICKAXE</h3>
<h3 class="h6">PRINT ADS</h3>
<h3 class="h6">ADMISSIONS WEBSITE DESIGN</h3>
“Stake Your Claim” was more than a tagline. It was a rallying cry for every department of the university, especially admissions and recruiting.
<h3 class="h6">"UNNC LAB"</h3>
After establishing the credibility and accomplishments of UNC Charlotte’s students and professors, they wanted a purposeful yet relevant campaign that would appeal to the 17-year-old prospective student.
<h3 class="h6">"UNCC LAUNDRY"</h3>
Research indicated that a well-branded mascot can be worth more than $10 million per year for a university. So we cast UNC Charlotte’s mascot for three TV spots, significantly increasing applications and brand awareness.
20% Increase in Enrollment Over 10 Years
25% Increase in Applications in the First Year
<p style="width: 50%;text-align:right;"> “The Stake Your Claim campaign will accentuate key brand attributes of UNC Charlotte: contemporary, assertive, confident, authentic, and decisive. Ads and other communication will highlight the University’s strengths in scholarship, research, arts and culture, athletics, and internationalization.” </p>
<h3 class="h6">Phillip L. Dubois, Chancellor of UNCC</h3>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0;font-size: 2vw;line-height: 1.2;">Giving the gift of extra time.</h2>
Sheetz’s mission is to give people time back to do more of the things they love. In honor of Global Pay It Forward Day, we helped Sheetz put their mission into action with the “Time Back” campaign.
<p style="letter-spacing: 1px;font-weight: 800;line-height: 1;">"TIME BACK RECAP"</p>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0;font-size: 18px;line-height: 1.2;letter-spacing:1px;">SOCIAL LISTENING</h2>
Leveraging social listening tools, we scrubbed Sheetz social platforms to pinpoint Sheetz Freakz who had fallen on hard times.
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;line-height: 1.2;letter-spacing:1px;">RECIPIENT SELECTION</h2>
We then worked with the brand’s executive team to vet stories, select recipients, and donate unprecedented prizes to Sheetz fans who simply need some time back.
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;line-height: 1.2;letter-spacing:1px;">MICROSITE DESIGN</h2>
We produced five beautiful videos of the in-person donations, telling each recipient’s story and showcasing their emotional reactions. On paid social, the videos drove visitors to a custom #TimeBack website, where we encouraged community members to pay it forward in their own lives.
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<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;line-height: 1.2;letter-spacing:1px;">SELECT PRIZES</h2>
From financial aid and custom-wrapped vehicles to charitable donations and family vacations, Tattoo Projects tailored prizes to help each recipient make up for lost time and fulfill their dreams.
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 1vw;font-size: 2vw;">April McDuffie-Hodges</h2>
<h3 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-bottom: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;line-height: 1;">South Boston, VA</h3>
April’s business, Alexia’s Closet, had been severely damaged from major floods. Sheetz gifted her with a new car, $25,000 for her business, and a $5,000 donation to the American Heart Association in honor of her son.
<h4 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-top: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;">PRIZE RECIPIENT</h4>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 1vw;font-size: 2vw;">Alan Jamieson</h2>
<h3 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-bottom: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;line-height: 1;">St. Mary's City, MD</h3>
An Associate Professor at St. Mary’s college of Maryland, Alan received a $25,000 donation to his school, a dream vacation to London, and a $2,500 Sheetz gift card to help fuel his students’ learning.
<h4 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-top: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;">PRIZE RECIPIENT</h4>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 1vw;font-size: 2vw;">Todd Spurrier</h2>
<h3 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-bottom: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;line-height:1;">Finksburg, MD
Todd Spurrier, a cancer survivor, runs a charity to raise awareness for the dangers of colorectal cancer. Sheetz surprised him with a $25,000 contribution to his charity, a custom-wrapped van, and a $500 Sheetz gift card.
<h4 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-top: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;">PRIZE RECIPIENT</h4>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 1vw;font-size: 2vw;">Emily Spears</h2>
<h3 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-bottom: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;line-height: 1;">Confluence, PA</h3>
Following a recent accident that totaled her car, Emily Spears was delighted to receive a brand-new car, $10,000 to help save homeless pets, and a dream vacation to Turks & Caicos.
<h4 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-top: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;">PRIZE RECIPIENT</h4>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 1vw;font-size; 2vw;">Chris Bizzell</h2>
<h3 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-bottom: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;line-height: 1;">Raleigh, NC</h3>
Chris is a track & field coach at East Cary Middle School and a self-proclaimed Sheetz Freak. The brand surprised him with a $25,000 donation to his school’s athletic department, a new truck, and a free trip to the Sheetz headquarters.
<h4 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-top: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;">PRIZE RECIPIENT</h4>
“Standing behind our core values, we had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to surprise a few of our lucky fans with more of the things they love in order to help them enjoy all of the time back they get from shopping at Sheetz.”
Ryan Sheetz,
AVP of Brand at Sheetz
