The Michigan Achievement Scholarship
Client: Michigan College Access Network
Agency: Redhead Creative Consultancy
Opening Doors for Students
The Michigan Achievement Scholarship (MiAS) is a need-based funding source for Michigan high school seniors, providing up to $5,500 per year for students studying at Michigan’s four-year public colleges and universities. This funding differs from many other financial aid and scholarships for its flexibility—it supports many paths and isn’t limited by institution type, opening up eligibility and opportunity for a wider range of students.
We were tasked with developing a creative and memorable student-facing campaign that would accomplish three goals: First, make the MiAS a household name among Michigan high school seniors; then encourage those students to pursue this brand-new funding by filling out their FAFSA; and lastly, on a broader scale, shift student’s perspectives regarding the attainability and value of a college education. Our target audience was students who were not “college-eager,” or who didn’t plan to attend college because they previously wouldn’t have qualified for financial aid.
Reaching Students
Using the creative direction developed by Redhead Creative Consultancy as a guide, we developed motion graphic commercials featuring layers of texture and clip art for a mixed-media look. To ensure the spots got in front of the high school seniors, we delivered versions for various platforms: broadcast, OTT, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. To further our reach and increase accessibility for students whose primary language was not English, we did a national casting call for professional teen voice actors who were native Spanish and Arabic speakers. Delivering in these additional languages (plus closed captions in English) made the campaign inclusive for more Michigan students and the adults in their lives to ensure all students were dreaming big.
Awards and Recognition
