National University
Rebuilding a University Brand from the Ground Up
Launching a new identity and marketing ecosystem for one of the largest online-focused universities in the United States.
National University set out to redefine its brand to better connect with its core audience: working adults, military members, and their families seeking flexible higher education.
With a multi-million dollar brand investment and a seven-month launch timeline, the university undertook a comprehensive transformation that included a new brand identity, website overhaul, and nationwide marketing campaign.
As Associate Creative Director, I helped lead the creative strategy and execution behind this large-scale rebrand.
Supporting the Whole You
The Challenge
Reintroduce National University to the market with a brand that reflects its mission of supporting modern students.
National University serves a unique student population—many balancing careers, families, and military service while pursuing degrees online. The existing brand did not fully reflect this mission.
The challenge was to develop a new identity and marketing ecosystem that would:
Resonate with nontraditional and military students
Modernize the university’s perception
Compete with rapidly growing online education providers
Launch nationally within a seven-month timeline
This transformation needed to touch every aspect of the university’s public presence—from brand identity to digital experience to national advertising.
The Strategy
Our strategy centered on repositioning National University around a core message: Education designed to support the whole student.
Extensive research—including competitor analysis, market trend audits, and internal performance metrics—helped identify the emotional and practical needs of the university’s core audience.
The new brand focused on the idea that National University supports students not just academically, but across every dimension of life.
We developed a modernized brand identity system that reflected accessibility, support, and flexibility while maintaining credibility as a national university. This included:
Redesigned logo
New visual identity standards
Refreshed typography and imagery systems
Expanded brand guidelines
Brand Identity Redesign
The brand launch required a complete website overhaul, including hundreds of pages that aligned with the new identity while improving the student discovery journey.
Digital Ecosystem Transformation
To bring the brand narrative to life, we conducted photography and video shoots across the country capturing real student experiences.
This content became the foundation for marketing campaigns and storytelling across channels.
Authentic Student Storytelling
Execution & Impact
The rebrand launched as a multi-channel national marketing campaign supported by an extensive creative ecosystem. As Associate Creative Director, I led a multidisciplinary design team while coordinating with several external partners, including:
WongDoody
The Brick Factory
Cumberland Creative Production
ReFuel Agency
Together we delivered:
National Advertising Campaign
Television commercials
Digital advertising
Out-of-home campaigns
Nationwide brand awareness media
Content and Storytelling
Student success stories
Mini-documentaries
Graduation coverage
Lifestyle photography
A completely overhauled web experience
Within just three months of launch, the integrated brand campaign, marketing collateral ecosystem, and redesigned website generated over 4,000 prospective student leads—demonstrating strong early traction following the university’s accelerated seven-month brand transformation.