VCU news

Virginia Commonwealth University and its students, alumni, faculty and staff are deeply engaged in modern life, crossing disciplines and time zones to make a difference in the world in myriad ways.

That’s at the core of the university’s “Make it real” marketing campaign, which was launched last year. VCU is evolving the campaign this month to showcase more stories of the expertise, talents and discoveries that the university has helped foster over the years — stories that have led to exciting new developments in the world around us.

The campaign, which was developed by VCU University Marketing, will emphasize the idea that learning, research, creativity, service and discovery — the hallmarks of the VCU experience — don’t happen solely in the classroom. They happen everywhere. “Make it real” celebrates the university’s connection with the outside world, its engagement in a thriving urban culture and its active role in fostering the talents and expertise needed to make a difference wherever people feel most needed.

A classic classroom desk will serve as a visual motif in the campaign, appearing in diverse settings where VCU’s reach can be felt. The desk links traditional academic rigor with the many ways that VCU and its students, faculty and alumni impact real situations and real lives. The desk will not only serve as a component of the marketing campaign but also as an engagement tool via social media and campus and community activities.

“We’re going to make the desk come to life,” said Tom Klug, senior director of University Marketing. “We want the desk to be something that students and the VCU community can engage with and use as a springboard to show off the different ways that they have brought their skills and knowledge into the world. We want people sharing their stories with us of how they ‘make it real.’”

To learn more about “Make it real” visit the campaign’s home page at www.makeitreal.vcu.edu.

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