Chestnut Hill College

The little college that could

Chestnut Hill used to be a small, all-girls college out on the rolling hills of Philadelphia’s borders. With not much more than a year with 160over90, CHC saw the need to open it’s door to not just the male population, but the greater populace. The first run of the campaign, headed by Martin Duffy and Stephen Penning, used bright swaths of color, smart but accessible copy, mixed with a dash of cheekiness. What I really loved about this campaign was how big it made the school seem. By focusing in on the macro elements of college life, it seemed to come off as the big comfy pillow that you land on once you are ejected from high school. The new student ID you will be carrying around on a lanyard. The school spirit. The textbooks. The ramen.

Now with great power, comes…well, you know. As Chestnut Hill grew, so did 160’s array of educational clients. So much so, that they are now seen as the preeminent force on the matter. Regardless, CHC will always serve as the springboard for the many parties involved. Myself included. Chestnut Hill is one of the few clients of whom I have run through my gamut of design knowledge from print to digital to identity to experiential.

The samplings seen here are from both the 2004 Annual Report, Alumni Weekend, and Continuing Education department. It’s a slight evolution of the brand. The previous campaign had been running a solid 2 years, and with the school celebrating their 80th Anniversary I saw an opportunity to show small elements of age and wear. It soon became a mixture of watercolor brushwork and fine elements and patternation. The detailing became so precise, all the way down to the card stock on the reunion mailer, which I am happy to say I managed to squeeze in the graduation photos of both my mom, and grandmother. There’a designer easter egg for ya!

Launched: 2005
Client: Chestnut Hill College
Agency: 160over90
Designer: Giacomo Ciminello
Copywriter: Brendan Quinn
Associate CD: Dan Shepelavy
Creative Director: Darryl Cilli
Developer: Ryan Blain