Cossette Campaign for Université de Montréal Turns its Symbol into an Icon

Université de Montréal has launched its new ad campaign, 'An icon for the world.' Developed by Cossette, and created in partnership with production house Colossale, this awareness campaign aims to bolster the university’s efforts to recruit high school seniors and CEGEP students.

The creative approach stems from the idea that most people nowadays hope to leave their mark on the world—young people in particular want to contribute in a positive way to something bigger than themselves, which is in keeping with Université de Montréal’s positioning. The institution sees itself as a citizen of the world and an agent of change through its daily contributions to the development and well-being of our society—and of the world.

With this campaign, Cossette hopes to turn Université de Montréal’s symbol—UdeM—into a cultural icon that the student body can make their own.

Students are at the very heart of the campaign. They embody the university’s brand and values, but they’re also positioned as the main agents of change. In fact, the models and extras used in the campaign are all current Université de Montréal students.

“Our approach focuses on UdeM students’ sense of belonging and their hopes of making the world a better place. You’ll get an excellent education at Université de Montréal regardless of your chosen program, but on top of that, you’ll also be joining an active and engaged community. That’s the main message we want to convey through this campaign,” said Hélène Mitchell, director, brand identity, at Université de Montréal.

“We played around with the codes of fashion to incorporate the Université de Montréal symbol more organically into our communications. The whole thing is supported by the tagline ‘An icon for the world,’ which can have several meanings and speaks to the different people in and around the university,” said Mélanie Delisle, creative director at Cossette.

The campaign will be featured online, on social media, and on posters in fall 2021 and winter 2022.