Gigasavvy Shows the Heart Behind West Coast University's Nursing Education

Nursing is both a challenging and rewarding profession, and its 5.3 million practitioners across the country will agree that it’s more than just a job: It’s a calling. That is the sentiment behind “When Caring is Your Calling,” a recent campaign from nursing school West Coast University (WCU), developed by California independent brand strategy and creative agency Gigasavvy.

Running in Miami and Dallas, where WCU has campuses, the campaign is built around a pair of inspiring 60-second anthem spots—one for each market—featuring actual alumni now working as medical professionals.

“West Coast University goes beyond being just a school, we aim to be an important part of the communities we serve,” said Timothy Lee, co-president, operations at West Coast University. “WCU is where aspiring healthcare professionals can answer their calling and make a difference in their city.”

The two spots open on evocative nighttime shots of the respective cities, before cutting to WCU graduates standing before film footage of their training at WCU. This footage is also shown projected across some of the city’s buildings and landmarks, while a voiceover states, “With each action I take, I will make my community proud. Caring for them as they have cared for me.”

“Our challenge was to localise the campaign for each market,” said Gigasavvy creative director Mitch Fait. “We took this challenge head-on and showcased real alumni as the heroes of this story. Their journeys and dedication to their communities highlight the authenticity and strength of WCU's nursing programme."

The work is a continuation of Gigasavvy’s humanistic creative approach for WCU, a deliberate attempt to avoid the drier, direct-response style that is often found in education advertising. That approach, embodied by campaigns like “We Are Nurses,” has yielded multiple creative awards for the agency and WCU.

The “When Caring is Calling” campaign is also a reflection of the agency’s belief that authentic human connection is the best path towards consumer loyalty. Established in 2008, the agency’s commitment to challenging everything and creating fearlessly has helped it land assignments from a diverse array of brands, including candy brand HI-Chew, Toshiba and Nationwide.