Simon Fraser University
Engaged: A post-secondary partnership rooted in shared values.
What we did
Brand Strategy, Sub-Brand Strategy, Leadership Consulting, Enrollment Marketing, Messaging, Design
Our lasting relationship with Simon Fraser University.
Our relationship with SFU began in 2015, when our founder led the institutional brand strategy that continues to anchor how SFU presents itself today. The relationship continues today at Wiseblood. That continuity isn’t a footnote. It’s a statement about trust and about the kind of partner we’ve worked to be.
Over the years, the work has covered an extraordinary range. When SFU faced a sensitive community review of the Athletics “Clan” nickname, they asked us to lead the consultation, map stakeholder sentiment among alumni, athletes, faculty, and the broader public, and design a process that could hold the tension between tradition and accountability without fracturing community trust. When the university needed to develop its institution-wide EDI message framework, we built it together. When SFU set out to launch its School of Medicine, the first new medical school in Western Canada in 50 years, we were the partner they chose to help define what the school was, what it stood for, and how it would speak.
What makes this kind of relationship possible is fluency. After a decade of working inside SFU’s culture, we understand the institution in ways that take years to develop: which conversations require careful navigation, which require a direct challenge, what the brand can bear and where it needs to be protected. We’ve been in the room for enough of SFU’s defining moments that we can move quickly when speed matters—and think slowly when it doesn’t.
That fluency runs across every stream of work. Faculty recruitment campaigns for Science, Environment, and the Beedie School of Business have run continuously since 2020, sharpened each year on the same strategic foundation. The SFU Innovation 2.0 campaign positioned the university’s research leadership in AI, agritech, and clean energy to industry partners, resulting in over 215,000 ad impressions and a 75% increase in web traffic for the BC Centre for Agritech Innovation. And alongside the major initiatives, we’ve supported the operational layer that keeps a complex institution communicating coherently: social strategy, web architecture, executive communications, and EDI.
More than any single project, we value the relationship itself. SFU brings Wiseblood into its hardest conversations because they trust us to handle them well, to listen carefully, to think critically and carefully, and to produce work that’s worthy of the institution. After more than ten years, we’re still honoured to be at the table.
Here to Grow
Presidential Announcement Campaign
When Simon Fraser University appointed Dr. Joy Johnson in 2020, they needed to do more than just introduce a new president. They had to show that SFU’s radical, West Coast spirit was still alive, even during a global pandemic.
We used a targeted advertising strategy to reach key audiences and bring them into the conversation. Our goal was to drive traffic to the new President’s website while keeping the university’s values of community and innovation at the front of people's minds. By focusing on clear, purpose-driven messaging, we achieved engagement rates higher than 1% on our paid ads. This approach didn't just introduce a leader; it reinforced SFU’s reputation as a place where unconventional ideas lead to real social impact.
SFU.ca CLF
Digital Styleguides
After Wiseblood developed a new brand strategy for Simon Fraser University (SFU), the university adopted a new visual identity to express its characteristics of being unconventional, fearless, compassionate and ready. SFU’s new visual identity includes bold reds, capital letters, blocks and black and white photography. The university needed to express its bold, new identity consistently across its hundreds of faculty, departmental, program and campaign websites and showcase on sfu.ca.
We worked closely with the SFU communications and IT teams to update SFU’s Common Look and Feel web templates by designing a system of styles and components that could be applied across SFU’s enterprise network of websites, implemented within the existing Content Management System and customized to meet unique needs. We also designed a new SFU.ca homepage to launch SFU’s new brand and content strategy.
SFU Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Awareness Campaign
As student and community-centered organizations, equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is a top priority for post-secondary institutions. When Simon Fraser University embarked on its EDI journey, it came to Wiseblood to develop a campaign that supported their action plan to ensure that all who work or study at SFU feel a sense of belonging, inclusion, fairness and mutual respect.
SFU needed a compelling, story-driven platform to convey key messages to the community. This campaign was an opportunity to invite mindset and behaviour shifts that promote inclusivity, and created a foundation for a shift in cultural inclusivity at all levels of university life.
As leaders in the community, faculty and staff have a critical role to play in supporting more inclusive practices. We created a communications campaign rooted in real stories, messages, and tips that inspired and provided the tools for faculty and staff to adopt more inclusive behaviours and inspire a culture of belonging.
SFU Arts and Culture
Editorial Design and Web Content Strategy
Wiseblood developed the essential brand narrative for the SFU Arts and Culture program by focusing on the university's belief that creativity is vital to global wellbeing. The strategy integrated SFU’s interdisciplinary approach, connecting students and researchers with local communities to show how art practices and critical making drive meaningful change. By unifying the program’s diverse museums, galleries, and performance spaces under a single identity, Wiseblood created a consistent set of supporting materials that work across all three campuses. This clear framework effectively positions SFU as a local stage for globally relevant work, making the program’s complex network of resources accessible to a wider audience.
And we always have fun around the holidays.
SFU 2019 Holiday Campaign
Staying connected throughout the COVID-19 pandemic was certainly a challenge for all of us. Students, faculty and staff at Simon Fraser University (SFU), worked tirelessly to transition online, support each other, and find a new way forward. As the first fall semester of the pandemic came to a close and the holidays approached, SFU wanted to find a safe and supportive way to celebrate and build pride and connection among the community. We created a holiday greeting that was inclusive of all traditions and tapped into joyous elements of SFU’s culture including its fire pits and friendly raccoons—with a little dash of humour.