After more than 150 years of growth and change, Lewis & Clark had evolved into three distinct but interconnected schools: the College of Arts and Sciences, the Law School, and the Graduate School of Education and Counseling. Each had its own identity, audience, and priorities.
The institution faced a fundamental branding challenge: how do you articulate a shared story that respects this diversity without reducing the complexity to a lowest common denominator?
The risk was more than cosmetic. Without a cohesive brand, Lewis & Clark could miss opportunities to engage prospective students, donors, and stakeholders who needed to see the full picture. The college needed a framework to express what unites its community, what makes it distinctive, and where it’s headed.
To overcome this challenge, Lewis & Clark tapped EducationDynamics/RW Jones Agency — a higher education powerhouse in research, strategy, and creative work. Over the course of 45 meetings, two campus visits, and 14 months, RW Jones created a strategic foundation and creative platform with the clarity and resonance to guide Lewis & Clark into the future.
Immersion: Learning the Landscape
Place & People
Nestled between the trees and rivers of Portland, OR, lies Lewis & Clark College. Originally founded in 1867 as a Presbyterian institution 60 miles south of the city, it’s known today for its rigorous education, stunning natural setting, and a quirkiness that matches the surrounding community.
The College of Arts and Sciences offers a liberal arts undergraduate experience, while the Law School and Graduate School of Education and Counseling serve graduate students.
Approach & Action
To get a better understanding of the institution’s history, its diverse constituents, and their visions for the future, RW Jones started with an extensive review of existing materials provided by Lewis & Clark. This ranged from previous marketing media, to third-party organizational assessments, to alumni and donor surveys.
Then, through mixed-methods research involving over 1,500 key internal and external stakeholders, RW Jones uncovered a defining truth: Lewis & Clark’s greatest strength lies in its ability to create a sense of belonging that empowers individuals across disciplines to create meaningful change.
Product & Purpose
During a two-day campus visit, RW Jones shared its findings with Lewis & Clark stakeholders and filled any remaining gaps by way of creative exercises, additional focus groups, and conversations with leadership.
With the immersion phase complete, strategy work soon began in earnest with a refined focus on what mattered to Lewis & Clark: change.
Strategy: Laying the Foundation
Common Ground: Unity Doesn’t Mean Uniformity
Knowing the challenge was not reducing three schools to a singularity, RW Jones designed a strategic framework that could house the pluralism of an institution that serves myriad communities.
This included a positioning statement that defined L&C’s points of distinction, the articulation Here to Make Change That Matters, a set of personality attributes to humanize L&C, and a core value proposition (CVP) that explicitly states the benefit of a L&C education: leaving with the capacity and skills to engage with the world as it is in order to shape the world as it could be.
Firming up the Four Cornerstones
From this (CVP), RW Jones extrapolated four distinctive pillars of messaging that united all three schools: curriculum, community, culture, and contribution.
Curriculum
An immersive, globally connected education that prepares students for meaningful, impact-driven careers.
Community
A compassionate culture that fosters belonging, resilience, and purpose.
Culture
An environment that encourages authenticity, sparks curiosity, and inspires courageous leadership.
Contribution
Access to real-world experiences that empower students to create a more just and sustainable future.
Creative: Reimagining the Walls
A House, Not a Hindrance
What happens when the walls built on these cornerstones aren’t limitations? RW Jones saw that Lewis & Clark had a compelling answer: instead of barriers, these walls were the foundations of a home that ensured stability and established a sense of belonging. It is precisely the support and security provided by the entire Lewis & Clark home that empowers all its constituents to go beyond.
To ensure this insight would be reflected in future visuals and copy, RW Jones utilized a brand narrative, bridging strategy and creative execution. It contextualizes the articulation and takes the first step toward opening up the L&C house — both for its immediate residents and the world at large. The narrative concludes, “And because Lewis & Clark is not merely a place, “here” becomes wherever we go together.”
Learning that Goes Beyond Four Walls
The comprehensive creative platform Learning That Goes Beyond Four Walls offered Lewis & Clark the following:
- Messaging guidelines with three unique headlines and copy examples, explanations, and best practices
- A refined visual identity, giving structure to pre-existing brand components that lacked consistency (e.g., logo, primary/secondary color palettes, typography)
- A collection of new graphic elements from photo textures to iconography to help bring the L&C brand to life
- A system that empowered internal teams to adapt, extend, and apply the brand across various channels
Impacts: Why This Change Matters
Since its rollout, the Lewis & Clark brand has:
- Aligned internal stakeholders across schools and departments
- Elevated the institution’s visibility in a crowded marketplace
- Provided clarity and confidence to communications and admissions teams
- Sparked new conversations with prospective students and donors
As Lewis & Clark’s VP for Communications Lori Friedman put it, “We had a top-notch experience with RW Jones. They are exactly the kind of partner we needed: smart, strategic, experienced, collaborative and bold. Our work with the RW Jones team is already turning heads and helping us stand out in the marketplace. A bonus: they were a joy to work with as well!”
