Trinity College Dublin has launched a campus campaign developed by Dublin agency Common Good to make the case for increased Irish and European investment in research during Ireland’s EU Presidency.
Called “Someone here is working on Europe’s hardest problems”, the campaign showcases ten Trinity research teams to ministers and officials attending Presidency events on campus.
The work connects research projects with issues on the European policy agenda, ranging from a blood test for bowel cancer to undersea cables capable of detecting activity in European waters.
Each execution presents a problem, outlines Trinity’s response and identifies the researcher behind the work. The approach aims to attract the attention of visiting policymakers and provide an opening for conversations with university representatives.
Campaign locations include a large banner at the Trinity Long Room Hub, windows near the Book of Kells entrance and an outdoor gallery outside the main Library. Digital screens and social media content support the activity, with messaging aligned to the schedule of Presidency events.
Common Good also developed messaging for the Provost, academics and other spokespeople, alongside a visual toolkit allowing Trinity’s communications team to extend the campaign.
The work went live in mid-July, eight weeks after the project began, and runs until the Presidency ends in December.
Áine Griffin, director of Trinity Communications, said: “The work helped us translate complex research into compelling, accessible stories that connected directly with the European agenda. It allowed us to position Trinity not simply as a centre of academic excellence, but as a university with something timely, important and valuable to contribute.”
Andrea Pappin, co-founder of Common Good, said: “A minister crossing Front Square isn’t looking for a university’s pitch. They’re thinking about what’s in their briefing folder. So we showed them the person already working on their problem, and let them make the connection. This has been a properly fun campaign to work on with the Trinity team, maximising this pretty iconic space in the heart of Dublin. And I went to UCD, so that takes a lot for me to say.”
Credits
Client: Trinity College Dublin
Director of Trinity Communications: Áine Griffin
Trinity College Dublin team: Sally-Anne Fisher, Aileen Brilly, Sorcha O’Boyle
Agency: Common Good
EU policy and messaging strategy: Andrea Pappin
Creative director: Chris Preston
Photography: Rich Davenport
