Art Direction, Brand Design, Illustration
Creative Director: Jeremy Ehn
Agency: Ideaville
Carpe Diem Education is a gap year organization that takes post-high school students on trips that focus on cultural immersion, service learning, and adventure. They came to us for a brand identity and through research and interviews we discovered two primary pain points in onboarding new students to their programs. One was was their ability to physically stand out and attract potential clients in a sea of competitors at gymnasium gap year fairs. The other was staying at the top of clients' minds in the vital weeks leading up to graduation, the time when students decide what to after after graduation.
To solve the first point, we did away with the scripty wordmarks so popular in this sector and gave them a bold, abstract icon that can be recreated in many mediums. The vibrant orange, inspired by dyes and textiles found in many of their destination countries, draws attention in a crowded gymnasium. The brand's new photography - rather than focus on pretty scenery - features students living an adventure of a lifetime, allowing potential clients to visualize themselves in these locales.
As for staying top of mind during the busy weeks after graduation, we designed printed takeaways that were not only informational, but that served a second, longer-lasting purpose. The program brochure folds out into a locker-sized illustrated poster, giving students a piece of art to keep in a visible place rather than forget about soon after the fair. The coasters are made with biodegradable seed paper that encourage students to plant and grow rather than throw away.