The Web Marketing Association is proud to present this 2017 Internet Advertising Competition Award for
Outstanding Achievement in Internet Advertising.
Best Bank Online Video, Best Other Online Video
Sallie Mae is a leading provider of student loans. With a growing national conversation around student debt, Sallie Mae faced the challenge of shifting their public perception from a corporate loan provider to a partner and resource for college-bound students and their families.
For Sallie Mae, the shift was both external and internal. The new tagline, “Let’s Make College Happen,” helped refocus the company mission and ground the campaign strategy. Employees had to understand that their jobs have a greater purpose than departmental goals, while customers had to feel seen and heard.
The “Bridging the Dream” scholarship campaign demonstrated Sallie Mae’s dedication to living their new mission. Sallie Mae reached out to guidance counselors across the country to identify four exemplary students whose college dreams were a financial stretch.
Sallie Mae set out across the country with a film crew to document these students and the obstacles that they overcame to make their college dreams a reality. A series of five-minute documentaries featuring these students and their support systems became the centerpiece of the campaign. In the meantime, Sallie Mae employees worked to raise the money for this new scholarship on behalf of the winner-to-be.
Sallie Mae employees raised enough money to award all students a $25,000 scholarship. Through the efforts of the integrated campaign, the brand saw an obvious lift in impressions, engagements, and positive consumer perception. This experience changed the way that both employees and consumers thought about the brand, and made college happen for four remarkable students.
Contributors:
| VP, Brand Strategy and Creative Services, Sallie Mae: | Liz Robinson |
| Chief Creative Officer, DiMassimo Goldstein: | Tom Christmann |
| Creative Director, DiMassimo Goldstein: | Kevin Karp |
| Director: | Alex & Aaron Craig (We Are Films) |
| Executive Producer, DiMassimo Goldstein: | Gary Bass |
| Brand Director, DiMassimo Goldstein: | Nehal Beltangady |
| Editor: | SpotWelders |