Introduction
Every year, we ask our team to reflect on the work that meant the most to them. What always strikes us is that our favorite projects aren’t necessarily the easiest or most straightforward. Rather, they’re the ones that challenged us, stretched our thinking, and pushed us to bring our best to the table.
The projects that rose to the top this year were the ones where our partners trusted us, collaborated with us, and invited us into the kind of meaningful work that goes far beyond a deliverable. These projects remind us that great marketing is built on shared purpose, mutual respect, and having the courage to tackle complex problems together.
We hope you enjoy these as much as we did.
Orange County Regional Consortium In-Demand Jobs Project
The Orange County Regional Consortium In-Demand Jobs initiative exemplified what happens when strategy, storytelling, and purpose converge. This multi-layered project challenged us to make complex workforce data accessible and actionable for colleges. We developed hundreds of assets for paid social media, including a toolkit branded for each of the 10 colleges to help in their efforts of training students for the most in-demand jobs.
“This initiative was such a collaborative effort with different partners. It moved quickly, demanded clarity, and ultimately resulted in tools that will provide long-term value to institutions across the region.” – Corey Paul, Client Success Manager
Shasta College Five-Year Strategic Plan
Several team members called out the Shasta College Strategic Plan as a standout project, and it’s easy to see why. This work invited us into deep research, thoughtful facilitation, and alignment-building across campus leadership. What made it memorable wasn’t just the outcome, but the partnership: Shasta’s team engaged openly, listened carefully, and moved forward with unity and conviction.
“Working alongside Peter at Shasta College was a true partnership. Our collaboration aligned directly with the college’s priorities, building a plan that captured the attention and confidence of institutional leadership. This project provided the college a marketing roadmap to guide strategy for the coming years.” – Jamie McNinch, Client Success Director
READY Campaign Mascot Videos and Infinity Card
Creative work tends to make an impression, and the READY Campaign certainly did. The mascot videos and Infinity Card pushed our team to explore storytelling in new ways, especially for younger, digitally native audiences. The project blended humor, heart, and brand strategy proving once again that the right creative approach can unlock connection and spark engagement.
“This project really pushed us in the best way. It challenged our team to rethink how we tell stories and I’m proud of how thoughtfully everyone showed up. The Infinity Card, especially, broke through the digital noise and gave us a fresh way to spark curiosity among a younger audience. Blending humor, heart, and strategy isn’t always easy, but when it works, you can feel the connection it creates and this work truly did that.”
– Jennie Gartland, Client Success Manager
Lake Tahoe Community College 50th Anniversary Video
Trust, collaboration, and craft defined the Lake Tahoe Community College 50th Anniversary video, a piece that ultimately both a Davey Award and a National Countil for Marketing and Public Relations Award. The challenge was meaningful: honoring a legacy while looking ahead. Our team approached it with care and creativity, producing a video that captured not just history, but spirit and aspiration.
“The storytelling in Lake Tahoe Community College’s 50th Anniversary video is what I like best about this project. It links the college’s past as a legacy with its future as a great opportunity. That balance of pride and possibility makes the story inspirational.” – Jamie McNinch, Client Success Director
Citrus College Rebrand
Rebranding a college is never a light lift. It requires clarity, courage, and commitment from everyone involved, and Citrus College embodied all three. This project challenged us in the best ways — strategically, creatively, and collaboratively. Seeing the refreshed identity launch across channels was a proud moment and a testament to what thoughtful change can achieve.
“What I loved about the Citrus rebrand was how the process came full circle. We pushed hard creatively from the beginning, and after working through a few early disconnects, found our stride when Citrus’ design team leaned fully into the process with us.
While rooted in the foundation we laid, the final identity showcases the Citrus teams own creative insights as well as their honesty, their collaboration, and their courage during a difficult chapter for their team. This is a brand built with heart.” – Michael Mahin, Creative Director
Saddleback College Emeritus Program Refresh
Impact-driven work resonated strongly with our team, which is why the Saddleback College Emeritus Program refresh earned its place on this list. This project required deep audience insight and a design approach that honored and uplifted older adult learners. The result was a revitalized program identity that helps the college better reach the community members who depend on it most.
“This project stood out because we had the chance to photograph real Emeritus students engaged in the programs and bring their energy directly into the creative. The refreshed printed schedule is now clean and easy to navigate, helping students and future students quickly see what classes are offered, where, and when.” – Corey Paul, Client Success Manager
GradComm Internal Welcome Packet
One of the most meaningful surprises in our team survey was how many people chose this internal project as a favorite. Our Welcome Packet became an exercise in culture building clarifying who we are, how we work, and what we value. It was a reminder that brand alignment starts at home, and that internal clarity fuels external impact.
“This was a real fun project to work on. Sometimes the best designs happen when a team leans into curiosity together. Where every wild idea is welcomed, every perspective is a possible palette, and creativity is free to play. Working on this music-themed concept made it even more fun, like we were all jamming together in visual harmony. As a creative agency, we don’t just guide the vision, we help spark the room where unexpected magic becomes the new standard.” – Chris Carroll, Art Director
Fullerton College African American Student Enrollment Campaign
Several team members highlighted this campaign for its precision, responsibility, and significance. Supporting Fullerton College in their African American student enrollment efforts required thoughtful creative, culturally responsive messaging, and multi-channel strategies that met students where they were. This wasn’t just marketing, it was meaningful work, and it stayed with our team long after launch.
“There’s a kind of marketing magic that happens when your audience is clearly defined. Our African American outreach work with Fullerton College is a great example. We weren’t speaking to ‘everyone,’ we were speaking to someone. That focus creates connection and shows community…and these are the keys to driving enrollment.” – Jamie McNinch, Client Success Director
Lemon Grove Early Childhood Education Enrollment Campaign
This project is a standout not just because it blended heart and strategy in all the best ways and led to some painfully cute ads, but also because Lemon Grove is one of our only non-community college clients.
Designed to help families reconnect with early childhood education after a pandemic-era decline, the campaign used warm visuals, reassuring messaging, and targeted digital outreach to reach parents of young children. Seeing enrollment inquiries rise and children return to classrooms underscored the profound impact thoughtful marketing can have on a community.
“Our work with Lemon Grove lets us flex in the best way: applying what we know about enrollment strategy to reshape it for families and young learners. It’s the same core expertise, just a different kind of storytelling, one that’s lighter, more human, and honestly, pretty adorable.” – Cheryl Broom, CEO
Conclusion
Looking back on these projects reminds us how fortunate we are to partner with institutions that believe in the power of strategic, student-centered marketing. Our favorite work wasn’t always the easiest and that’s precisely why it mattered. These projects demanded rigor, creativity, collaboration, and heart. They pushed us, shaped us, and reaffirmed that marketing can be transformational when grounded in purpose and craft.
To our clients: Thank you for trusting us with your stories.
To our team: Thank you for showing up with commitment, curiosity, and courage.
Here’s to the next year of meaningful work and the projects that will challenge us in all the right ways.
