05 June 2017
The Australian Catholic University (ACU) has launched its new brand identity, developed in partnership with brand consultancy PUSH Collective.
At the heart of this new identity is the guiding principle of creating ‘Impact through Empathy’. Empathy is profoundly relevant in today’s polarised society and has long been cited as a critical skill for effective leadership.
“ACU’s focus of creating ‘Impact through Empathy’ signals a confident new direction for the university – one that celebrates both the university’s founding values and its aspiration to academic excellence,” said Erminio Putignano, Managing Director of PUSH Collective.
“We wanted to convey the Catholic ethos of the university through a narrative that has universal appeal and projects a compelling idea of leadership for people of all backgrounds and religious beliefs.”
The new brand strategy has been brought to life through a distinctive visual and verbal identity, featured for the first time in a multi-channel Open Day campaign, also by PUSH Collective. It showcases a selection of ACU alumni’s success stories and the deep positive impact they have achieved in their endeavours.
As part of the project, PUSH Collective embarked on extensive market research and stakeholder consultation, discussing the role of higher education and views on Catholicism in our society. It became clear that there was an important role for a university that equips people to make a difference through empathetic leadership.
"This work represents a significant evolution for the ACU brand. It’s a coming-of-age strategy for the university and it’s centred on an idea that has a relevance that’s truly universal and urgent in today’s world. It has been embraced by the whole of the University and will deeply influence our staff and student experience, research and courses in the years to come."
Kathy Vozella, Director of Marketing and External Relations of ACU
The introduction of the new brand identity reflects the growing success and aspirations of ACU. Opened in 1991 and operating out of seven campuses across the country, ACU is Australia’s only publicly funded Catholic university. Over the last several years, ACU has significantly grown its number of students, set up a new campus in Rome, and established a series of research institutes focusing on education, health, theology and philosophy, social justice and the common good.
