CATEGORY:
BRAND IDENTITY
YEAR:
2024
AGENCY:
160over90
THE GIST OF IT:
Since 2020, New York University has seen a steady rise in enrollment for its online programs across the institution. These students aren't looking for a “flexible” or “convenient” education, like some other online programs are boasting. Rather they are looking for the immersive global network that only NYU can provide them with.
This moment provides NYU with a key opportunity to create a unified presence for all online programs, so no matter where in the world their students might be tuning in from, it still feels like NYU.
It’s not a zip code—it’s a state of mind. A trademark drive that runs through every professor shaping their industry and connects every new peer you meet. It’s the desire to contribute to a culture bigger than big—and to build exactly the kind of life you want.
NYU’s for the New Yorkers—the ones who never leave the city, and the ones who’ve never stepped foot in the five boroughs. So if you have it in you? Welcome to New York—wherever you are.
A graphic called “the catalyst,” derived from the institution’s city-grid pattern, has become the brand’s hero element. This ever-changing intersection of lines reflects the idea that students can’t be defined by a single static point, and that NYU/online will meet them wherever they are in the world.
We kept returning to one question: “How do we authentically bring NYU to students halfway around the world?” Whether through Violet Noise, a custom soundscape album, or a pre-loaded MetroCard encouraging a future campus visit, the goal is always to deliver the full NYU city experience—wherever students may be.
With 12 schools across the institution offering online or hybrid degree programs, NYU/online can truly be whatever each student wants it to be. That’s why there isn’t a single definition of the NYU/online experience.