CWRU School of Medicine: “Visionaries” Campaign

Envisioning the future of medical education

To mark its 175^th anniversary in 2018, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine came to N+S, looking to develop a comprehensive campaign to capitalize on this important milestone. We created direct mail collateral and a bound commemorative book highlighting the visionaries from the university who made an impact in the field of medicine. The book incorporated photography from Larry Fink, who was commissioned for the project. His images were expertly curated throughout the print design to pull readers through the content, and to provide insight into the CWRU School of Medicine community.

In addition to their high regard for the book, CWRU considered the direct mail campaign to be especially successful. It was used as a cultivation piece and paired with a targeted mailing strategy, and the University reported increased exposure and name recognition among peers following the campaign.

The Work

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine celebrated their 175th anniversary in 2018, a milestone marked by the opening of a new medical school building, an expanded partnership with the Cleveland Clinic, and the announcement of Dean Pamela Davis’s retirement.

The school came to N+S to develop a comprehensive campaign to capitalize on the moment. We created direct mail collateral and a bound commemorative book highlighting the visionaries from the university who made an impact in the field of medicine. The university’s brand, which is designed to reflect the stature of the school as a highly regarded research institution, was emphasized in the book by the use of contemporary and historical black and white photography.

The Results

We worked with the Dean and senior leadership to identify the style of photography for the piece. The Dean was particularly moved by a collection of Larry Fink’s photography, and determined she wanted the same eye for detail incorporated into her project. We took the idea to Fink himself—who immediately accepted the commission.

“The creative partnership, energy, and ideas N+S brought to our project were exceptional. The entire N+S team made substantive and timely contributions to the planning, design, and production of a complicated assignment. Their fine art sensibility added a valuable dimension to an appreciation of the medical school rarely found in materials of this kind. Expectations exceeded!”

— Marc Kaplan, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Associate Dean of Marketing

We expertly curated Fink’s photography throughout the print design to pull the reader through the content and provide insight into the daily moments that comprise education, research, and community at CWRU. Dean Davis and the school were blown away by the final design.

The direct mail campaign was also considered especially successful. It was used as a cultivation piece and paired with a targeted mailing strategy. The school reported increased exposure and name recognition among peers, which they felt resulted in an improved ranking among top colleges and universities as rated by U.S. News and World Report.