People walking across a plaza at night with lit up letters behind them that spell \"VCU.\" Above the letters is a large banner that says \"UNCOMMON\" in yellow and black text.
The Uncommon brand serves to draw the world’s attention to what sets VCU apart, emphasizing that “in a world of the common, we are the uncommon.” (Allen Jones, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

May 8, 2023

VCU takes home national Best in Show honors for Uncommon brand launch

The Uncommon brand shares in a modern, bold way how VCU is one of the best, most inclusive universities in the country.

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By VCU News staff

Virginia Commonwealth University received the Best in Show award at the Collegiate Advertising Awards this spring for its Uncommon brand launch.

VCU’s recognition was unanimous among the judges for the national competition, which honors excellence in marketing and advertising among colleges and universities. VCU competed against such institutions as Auburn University, Boston University, Clemson University, Purdue University and Syracuse University.

“I’m so proud of our team for launching an authentic, aspirational and distinctive brand for all of VCU: the university and health system,” said Grant Heston, vice president for enterprise marketing and communications for VCU and VCU Health. “We like our story best when we tell it ourselves, and this national recognition shows we are doing just that. Even better, I know the best is yet to come.”

The Uncommon brand shares the bold uniqueness of VCU in an authentic way; the best brand positioning is distinctive and stands out from the crowd. The brand serves to draw the world’s attention to what sets VCU apart, emphasizing that “in a world of the common, we are the uncommon.”

Uncommon launched at New Student Convocation and the first day of classes at the opening of the 2022-23 academic year. As part of the launch, students shared their personal stories and the “un” word that best captured why they chose VCU.

Their stories provided powerful emotional connections and highlighted what makes VCU distinctive and special. In addition, the brand launch featured a variety of paid and owned advertising channels including digital video, digital display, out-of-home, social media, paid search and broadcast video.

For more on Uncommon VCU, visit www.vcu.edu/uncommon/.