New Ads on Subways, Buses, Railroads, Highway Billboards and Other NYC Hotspots Focus on the University’s Top-Notch Offerings  

Ads Highlight Graduate Schools, Research, Successful Alumni, Exceptional Academics and Unmatched Affordability

The City University of New York has launched the second installment of “A Degree for Every Dream,” its expansive, student-focused advertising campaign that touts the excellence, affordability and impact of a CUNY education. 

Expanding on last fall’s efforts, the state-funded campaign emphasizes the University’s great range of undergraduate and graduate degree options along with the rigor of its academic programs and the interconnectivity which allows students to access libraries, classes, pools and other resources across campuses. The ads also highlight the career successes of the University’s alumni. 

“CUNY continues to help New Yorkers achieve their professional dreams,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “As we extend this campaign, we want current and prospective students to know about all of the University’s academic offerings and get inspired by our alumni who are strengthening our city each day.” 

The ads, which run until the end of the year, feature photos of more than 80 students and alums from 15 CUNY colleges taken at locations across 15 of the University’s campuses, including the Mina Rees Library at the CUNY Graduate Center, a science lab at the City College of New York, the Dolphin Cove student dorm at College of Staten Island, Queens College’s quad and Lehman College’s Olympic-sized swimming pool. 

The campaign maintains the signature photos of students and alums thriving on CUNY campuses, promoting the diversity of options across the five boroughs and positioning the University as the place to be. They are visible on train cars and stations across the New York City Subway, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, as well as on city buses and bus shelters, Staten Island Ferry terminals, NJ Transit trains, PATH trains and digital highway billboards. 

Student Success 

The campaign focuses on the career outcomes for CUNY students, a key priority of Chancellor Matos Rodríguez as reflected in the University’s strategic roadmap, CUNY Lifting New York. To represent this, the ads feature CUNY students who have landed internships at major companies like JPMorgan Chase, The Museum of Modern Art, New York-Presbyterian Hospital and NASA. 

Katarina Matic, a global senior director at the global public relations communications firm Montieth & Company, is featured in one of the ads. 

“I am honored to be a part of this initiative because CUNY attracts and builds a lot of talent that this city should celebrate,” said Matic, who earned a bachelor’s degree from Queens College and an executive MBA from Baruch College. “Some of the most intelligent and hardworking professionals I know come from CUNY, and for me, this campaign embodies that.” 

Current students remain at the center of the campaign. Dave Olajide, a Baruch senior and president of the college’s undergraduate student government, said he wanted to be featured to help others see the University’s impact. 

“CUNY is opportunity, and anyone who takes that opportunity is part of a greater mission that is social mobility,” said Olajide. “We are all in this world in hopes of getting our own opportunity, and CUNY is that opportunity for not only me but for hundreds of thousands of people.” 

An Award-Winning Effort 

Each ad encourages viewers to apply to the University and directs them to a dedicated webpage on the CUNY website where prospective students can learn more about CUNY’s 2,800 degree programs, co-curricular offerings and available student supports. 

The new ads feature a cloud-shaped frame around the photos and a light blue background that are in theme with the “dream” aspect of “A Degree for Every Dream.” This gives the campaign a fresh feel while also preserving CUNY’s branding identity with the University’s signature blue. 

“We take great pride in amplifying the stories of our University through this beautiful and far-reaching campaign,” said CUNY Senior Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing Maite Junco. “As New Yorkers and our neighbors see this refreshed campaign, we hope they will take notice that CUNY truly offers ‘A Degree for Every Dream.’ I would like to give a tremendous shoutout to our CUNY Office of Communications and Marketing for pulling together this in-house effort to make our students, alumni and campuses shine.” 

The Fall 2023 “A Degree for Every Dream” campaign won a Silver Telly Award in the “Branded Content: Recruitment” category, which highlights content campaigns dedicated to recruiting students, employees or volunteers for its parent organization. It also won a Gold Award from the Collegiate Advertising Awards and received a merit award in the total digital marketing program category from the Education Digital Marketing Awards. 

– Story Courtesy of CUNY Media Relations