International graduate and post-graduate students are worth some €2.5bn a year to the Irish economy. But, as well as being a vital source of income to the third-level colleges, it is a hugely competitive market and Ireland is up against far bigger spending markets vying for the same students. So, last year, Enterprise Ireland got involved to launch a co-ordinated campaign for all third-level colleges promoting Ireland as a study destination.

My brief was to highlight Irish colleges’ core strengths: a great education and great access to potential employers. However, having conducted my own desk research, I felt the needed to challenge this: many colleges in many countries could lay equal or better claim to their educational standards and employer relationships. So, I conducted workshops with stakeholders in each of the third-level colleges, presenting different hypotheses to them.

The result was a new proposition:

Studying in Ireland will be the making of you. Meaning that when you study in Ireland, you get far more than a world-class, world-recognised education. Far more than career opportunities that are the envy of other countries. What you also get is amazing, life-enhancing, life-changing experiences every single day. Experiences that will benefit you personally and professionally your whole life. Ireland – the making of you. 

The Indie List assembled a superb creative team of Brendan O’Flaherty and Mike Garner, with project management by Tanya English. The video was produced and directed by Rubberduck. The campaign comprised more than 20 digital executions across various channels targeting students in 15 countries. It was a pleasure to work on this campaign with Giles O’Neill and Vivienne Nolan and the team at Enterprise Ireland.