The University of Aberdeen’s Undergraduate Prospectus is officially the best University prospectus in the UK after winning a prestigious award this week.
The 2005 publication beat stiff competition from almost 200 different institutions and organisations across the country to win a Gold Award for Outstanding Achievement in this year’s Heist Awards for Education Marketing.
The University was represented by its Marketing Officer Rachel Sandison, of the Student Recruitment and Admissions Service (SRAS), who was presented with a trophy and a framed certificate at a ceremony in Leeds on Tuesday.
The judging team, which consisted of 37 education marketing experts said they were impressed by the radical transformation of the University’s 2005 prospectus.
In a promotional brochure designed to publicise this year’s Heist Awards, Aberdeen’s UG Prospectus was described as “well written and in an appropriate tone for prospective students and their parents. The University had made good use of student quotes and provided reasons as to why the reader should choose this University over any other.”
Lori Manders, Director of External Affairs at the University of Aberdeen, said she was delighted that the University’s Undergraduate Prospectus had received such prominent recognition. She said: “This is a fantastic achievement for the University and underlines our determination to challenge peoples’ opinions of the institution as a place to live and learn.
“It also demonstrates that we are clearly in tune with our market and our market position. As a University dedicated to achieving excellence in teaching and research, we pride ourselves on providing excellent services and facilities for our students on our beautiful and historic campus and we are thrilled that our efforts have been recognised in this way.”
The Aberdeen publication will now be used as a benchmark for recruitment strategies, campaigns and literature standards. Some of the innovative features that secured Aberdeen’s win were a novel foldout and detachable subject index page which makes a useful reference tool and doubles up as a bookmark. The judges felt this illustrated that the institution really wanted to do all it could to aid prospective students in their decision making process.
The Undergraduate Prospectus was designed and produced by Glasgow-based creative agency CuriousOranj.
Tony Coffield, creative director, CuriousOranj, said: “Imagery was particularly important in the design as not many cities can boast a beach within walking distance of its cosmopolitan centre, and it is still visuals that play a key role in holding prospective students interest. We wanted to convey the diversity of student life and learning at the University of Aberdeen and challenge perceptions, so the outdoor photographs along with the city-living images were selected. The consistent complementary use of colour throughout aids navigation but also maintains the vibrancy, so reflecting student learning and life at the University of Aberdeen.”
Further information on this year’s Heist Awards is available by visiting www.heist.co.uk/awards . Further information on the University of Aberdeen’s Student Recruitment and Admissions Service (SRAS) is available at www.abdn.ac.uk/sras or by calling (01224) 272090/91. For further information on CuriousOranj call (0141) 420 3888 or visit www.curiousgroup.co.uk