Carolina Union Grand Reopening

In 2012, the first floor and east wing of the Carolina Union were renovated to bring all parts of the building up to safety code, improve meeting rooms and offices, provide a 24-hour dining option, and construct a collaborative student workspace with new technology. The 2012 Grand Reopening campaign was developed to promote the Union’s new flexibility to students and to encourage them to utilize the renovated spaces. A weeklong celebration concurred with the return of students to campus, making it an especially advantageous time to attract incoming first-years to the Union.

I conceived the “MORE” theme both as a tip of the hat to the Union’s tagline, “More Than a Building,” and as the boldest, most succinct description of the new Union possible. I created the campaign’s overall appearance, which features vivid patterns overlaid with phrases incorporating the “MORE” type treatment.

Banners displayed both on electrical poles near a busy bus stop in front of the building and on the building itself publicize the Union’s new spaces to students, playfully suggesting what they can get done there. These designs were also adapted into digital advertisements that ran on screens throughout the Union.

The celebration featured events targeting incoming students, games, stress management and relief for the first week of class (such as acupuncture, meditation, massages, and yoga), tours, and as with any college event, copious free food. Promotional giveaways, including pens, water bottles, scratchoff prize tickets, and oversized three-inch buttons, were placed strategically throughout the new facilities during the celebration. Interior banners and wayfinding signage guided attendees through the space and called attention to improvements.