Put Educators First
Build the campaign around the people doing the work, rather than leading with the organization.
Design
ASCD Superhero Ad Series
ASCD Creative
Challenge
ASCD wanted to celebrate educators and place its members, customers, and constituents at the center of its campaign. Research informing the work pointed to teachers leaving the profession within their first five years, alongside declining membership. Teachers, principals, and superintendents were navigating changing standards, underfunded budgets, and increasing pressure to meet performance targets. Their work held tremendous value for students and communities, yet the demands of the profession could overshadow recognition of their contributions. The challenge was to connect ASCD’s membership message to what educators needed: acknowledgment of their impact and meaningful support for the work ahead.
Creative Strategy
The research led to a simple insight: before asking educators to invest in membership, we had an opportunity to remind them why their work mattered. The Superheroes, Champions, and Trailblazers concept reframed everyday educational work as something extraordinary and worthy of recognition. It celebrated the expertise, persistence, and care educators bring to their schools while connecting that recognition to ASCD’s professional learning, resources, and community. The ad series featured real aides, teachers, teacher-leaders, and principals whom we photographed at ASCD’s Annual Conference. Featuring educators from the community we served grounded the Superheroes, Champions, and Trailblazers concept in authentic experience and recognized the range of people who contribute to student success. Expressive hand lettering added personality and a celebratory quality to each portrait. A flexible series format allowed the campaign to feature different educators across publications while maintaining a consistent visual identity. The message was both affirming and practical: your work makes a difference, and you deserve support.
My Role
Ideation and Art Direction. I helped translate the research and audience insights into the campaign concept and art-directed its visual expression. My focus was on connecting the membership message to educators’ professional identity and bringing the idea to life through photography, design, and hand lettering.
Collaborators
Creative Direction: Gary Bloom Designer: Thomas Lytle Hand Lettering: Donald Ely
The Approach
Insight into ideas.
Ideas into experience.
Develop a Repeatable Concept
Use a series structure that can celebrate different educators while retaining a common identity.
Expand the Image Library
Photograph educators at the annual conference to support additional campaign executions.
Selected Creative
A closer look
at the work.
The Result
Creative with
a clear purpose.
The project delivered a multi-size advertising series and expanded educator photography for continued campaign use.