TAFE Queensland backs real stories in statewide brand push

TAFE Queensland is putting its own students and staff at the centre of a new statewide brand campaign, turning to real stories and career journeys as it looks to strengthen the human face of the education provider.

More than 125 TAFE Queensland staff and students feature across 11 study areas in Make Your Great Happen, a new campaign created with Queensland creative outfit Cristian & Marianne and production company Compadre Picture Co. 

The work spans television, online video, OOH, radio, digital, search, social and owned channels, with Queensland band Ball Park Music providing the soundtrack.

Rather than casting traditional talent, the campaign draws on the experiences of people studying and working across TAFE Queensland, with the creative built around practical skills, career changes and the different paths people take through education and work.

Cristian & Marianne director Marianne O'Brien said the approach was designed to reflect the reality that careers are increasingly unlikely to follow a straight line.

“People's careers are no longer linear. We wanted to create a platform that reflected that reality through real people and real stories,” O'Brien said.

“Featuring staff and students ensured the work reflected real experiences and real outcomes.” 

Behind the campaign sits a broader refresh of TAFE Queensland's brand strategy. Make Your Great Happen will operate as a multi-year creative platform spanning brand advertising, individual study areas, course consideration and enrolment rather than being confined to a single campaign cycle.

TAFE Queensland director of brand, marketing and customer demand Marielle Wallin said the platform gives the organisation a consistent way to connect the emotional side of learning with tangible career outcomes.

“Our brand promise is centred on the practical skills that help people do extraordinary things. This platform gives us a distinctive way to tell that story, connecting the emotional impact of learning with the real-world outcomes our students achieve every day,” Wallin said.

The campaign was produced locally, with Compadre Picture Co leading production, Cristian & Marianne as creative partner, Ruckus Studio and Rosco Audio handling post-production and YoungKind as research partner.