Hillsdale College Marketing Ads
In the spring of 2024, I had the privilege of interning with Hillsdale College's Marketing Department. During this internship, I contributed to updating copy and photos for a wide range of marketing materials, including brochures, programs, and flyers for various departments. I also took on long-form projects, such as creating a comprehensive scholarship book detailing every scholarship offered at Hillsdale College. Although my internship concluded in May 2024, Hillsdale retained me as an independent contractor for design work.
Below are two sets of social media posts/ads I created under the guidance of the department's art director, which were further refined and published.
The first set of ads was designed to promote Hillsdale’s K-12 program to job seekers in the education field. Collaborating with the client, I selected photos that highlighted the roles of educators and school leaders. Each ad was crafted to stand out and catch attention, ensuring they didn’t feel repetitive even when viewed multiple times.
To maintain consistency, I used a distinctive "call to action" subheading in each ad, making it stand out by placing it within a box or bar.
For the first ad (left) I used a blue gradient overlay to create a clean space for text and paired it with a white serif font for the title.
For the second ad (middle) I selected an image of a younger teacher to resonate with the target audience of aspiring educators seeking teaching fellowships. Key phrases like “explore” and “K-12” were emphasized in a bold sans-serif font, with text colors reflecting the American flag for a patriotic touch. The whiteboard in the image provided an ideal space for right-aligned text.
Lastly, for the third ad (right), we chose an image of a school leader with a hallway backdrop to convey authority and experience. Similar to the first ad, I incorporated a blue gradient to display the text. A bold serif font in a large size highlighted the short heading, while a red bar added emphasis and a pop of Hillsdale branding.
This cohesive yet varied approach ensured the ads were visually appealing and effectively conveyed the program's message.
The second set of posts was designed to honor Memorial Day by using historical photos. I was provided with the copy for each post and sourced relevant public domain historical images to match. To enhance the visuals, I applied gradients of Hillsdale Blue, creating a darker overlay that served as a backdrop for the text. Key words in the copy were highlighted using a bold display font. The addition of a border and Hillsdale’s logo unified the posts, while a red banner introduced a vibrant pop of color and reinforced Hillsdale’s branding.