Arts Business Competition

Situation

The UW–Madison Division of the Arts' annual Arts Business Competition provides aspiring arts entrepreneurs with an opportunity to pitch business ideas to a panel of judges and compete for funding. The program sought to attract more student applicants, creating an opportunity to establish a consistent visual identity and develop promotional materials that more clearly communicated the competition's unique format and purpose.

Task

As Creative Manager, I was responsible for developing a communications strategy that would increase awareness and encourage more students to apply. The challenge was to establish a recognizable identity that clearly communicated the competition's purpose while creating engaging, cost-effective promotional materials that could reach students across campus.

Action

I developed several creative concepts, ultimately working with program stakeholders to establish "Shark Tank for the Arts" as the campaign's central theme. The familiar television format provided an immediate way to communicate the competition's premise, while a playful shark-inspired visual identity blended with the Division's developing brand.

I led the development of an integrated campaign spanning digital advertising, social media, animation, print materials, and campus promotions. To stand out among the crowded posting boards across campus, I designed branded origami sharks featuring QR codes linking to the competition. I taught student employees how to assemble them, and our team distributed them in strategic locations frequented by arts students. The sharks also became the centerpiece of animated digital promotions and a social media video demonstrating how to fold them.

Beyond recruiting applicants, I established a video storytelling initiative highlighting competition winners and the projects their funding helped bring to life. Working with our videographer and communications team, we produced stories featuring a mushroom-inspired art exhibition organized by biology students and the Big Gay Market, a welcoming marketplace supporting LGBTQ artists and makers. These videos celebrated the entrepreneurs while also promoting their projects and demonstrating the competition's impact.

Result

The campaign established a consistent, recognizable identity for the Arts Business Competition and contributed to substantial growth in student applications over the following two application cycles.

The integrated approach connected physical and digital promotions through a cohesive visual identity, while the winner profiles extended the campaign beyond the application period. By highlighting the people and projects behind the competition, we created content that served the participating artists, promoted their work, and strengthened the Division's storytelling efforts.