Deakin GIFT City Campus

Using 2D Animation to Deliver an International Message

In 2024, Melbourne’s Deakin University became the first university in the world to open an international teaching campus in India with the launch of their new facilities in Gujarat International Finance Tec City - GIFT City. The new campus was considered to be the next step in the growing relationship between the two countries as it marked the 30-year anniversary of Deakin becoming the first university to establish a presence in India way back in 1994.

Leading up to the launch, Deakin University intended to run a campaign across social media with two messages; to announce the upcoming opening, and to encourage potential students to enrol. To deliver an engaging message that appealed to prospective students, and corporate and industry partners, they opted for an animated explainer video.

The brief detailed multiple variations of a 2D animated video that would play across Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin with 15 & 30-second versions. They wanted the tone to be punchy and energetic, incorporating the new Deakin GIFT City branding, and presenting an impactful message that resonated with both demographics.

Following my typical process for explainer videos, I storyboarded the animation to follow a structure that would be easy to adapt for the different formats (square, vertical, horizontal). I made use of the Deakin GIFT City brand assets for some punchy animated graphics to mirror the text elements and convey the intended message.

The campaign was a success and Deakin GIFT City campus launched with their first day of classes in July 2024. The choice to use animation for the project gave Deakin University the ability to reach across social media with an engaging and concise message, generating interest in the new facilities and showcasing their new branding.