Play video

See project

Storytelling for Higher Education

At Spacejunk, we partner with universities and colleges as well as their agencies of record to create compelling visual content that helps tell their stories, attract students, and communicate institutional value with clarity and authenticity. Our higher education work includes collaborations with Ohio State, Princeton, Carnegie Mellon, UConn, Wittenberg, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, the Modern College of Design, Columbus College of Art & Design, and more. From brand videos and admissions content to campus storytelling and fundraising campaign launches, we help schools translate complex ideas, academic culture, and student experience into engaging visual narratives. The result is work that feels authentic, accessible, and aligned with each institution’s voice, mission, and audience.

Higher Ed creative that performs

The Ohio State University

Supporting One of the Nation’s Largest Universities

The Ohio State University is one of the largest and most visible public universities in the country, with a brand that reaches far beyond campus. We’ve had the privilege of working with Ohio State for years, partnering closely with their marketing team on national broadcast campaigns and a wide range of storytelling initiatives that represent the university at its highest level.

Our work has spanned broadcast spots, event content, short-form documentaries, and major campaign work, including creative for the OSU Athletics Team Shop. Across every project, the common thread has been collaboration. We work hand-in-hand with Ohio State’s internal team, aligning closely on brand voice, messaging, and execution to ensure the work feels both authentic and impactful.

Because of the scale and visibility of the university, the bar is high. Every piece needs to feel considered, polished, and true to the institution’s identity. Over time, we’ve developed a deep understanding of the Ohio State brand and what it represents, allowing us to help shape how the university shows up to the world. It’s work we take seriously, and a partnership we’re proud to have built with one of the most recognizable institutions in higher education.

University of Connecticut

Cinematic Stories of Discovery

We partnered with higher-education agency SimpsonScarborough on a multi-video campaign for the University of Connecticut, designed to elevate the university’s academic impact and research leadership through cinematic, story-driven content. The project included three primary videos, each designed to support UConn’s broader fundraising and brand efforts.

The first piece was a short documentary profiling Dr. Xiao-Dong Zhou, a leader in clean energy and sustainability research. Working closely with the SimpsonScarborough team, we helped shape both the narrative and the visual language of the film, centering it on Dr. Zhou’s vision for a more sustainable future. To bring that idea to life, we leaned into a more cinematic approach, using anamorphic lenses, diopters, and in-camera effects to create a dreamlike, forward-looking aesthetic. The result felt less like traditional higher-ed content and more like an experimental short film, reflecting the work's ambition.

The second video followed a similar profile format, focusing on Professor Stephany Santos and her work with students, including their involvement in the National Science Bowl. This piece emphasized mentorship, curiosity, and hands-on learning, grounding the story in real interactions between faculty and students.

The third piece served as the campaign’s anthem video. Built around the Because of UConn platform developed by SimpsonScarborough, it highlighted faculty members across disciplines doing meaningful, forward-thinking work. For this piece, we combined custom-shot footage with motion design and existing assets to create a cohesive, elevated visual story that tied the campaign together.

Across all three videos, our role was to translate academic excellence into compelling visual storytelling—work that felt thoughtful, modern, and emotionally engaging, while still aligned with the goals and tone of a major public university campaign.

Mount Vernon Nazarene

Education That Fits Real Life

Our work with Mount Vernon Nazarene University began with a broadcast campaign focused on MVNU Online and the flexibility it offers non-traditional students. The goal was to show how higher education can fit into real life, not the other way around. The spot followed three different students, each at a different stage of life, and used quick, kinetic storytelling to show how an online degree could adapt to their schedules, responsibilities, and goals.

That initial campaign led to a broader creative rollout. We followed up with an animated pre-roll series designed to highlight the wide range of disciplines available through MVNU Online. These spots leaned into clarity and accessibility, helping prospective students quickly understand their options in a format built for digital platforms.

The campaign evolved further with a series of 60-second testimonial-driven spots featuring real MVNU Online students. These pieces focused on authenticity, showing students balancing coursework with work, family, and everyday life. Filmed in real environments, the videos emphasized how MVNU fits into the rhythm of students’ lives rather than asking them to pause everything else to pursue a degree. Each spot was supported by multiple cutdowns for social and digital placements, giving the university a flexible set of assets that could be used across channels.

Across all phases of the work, the focus remained the same: communicating how accessible education can be when it’s designed around the student.

The Modern College of Design

Letting the Work Speak

Our work with The Modern College of Design began with a recruitment film designed to capture what makes the school unique. We traveled to campus to interview students, explore the facilities, and document the day-to-day creative environment. Initially, the plan was to build the story through traditional interviews and narrative structure, but once we began reviewing the footage, it became clear that the real story was already there in the work the students were creating.

That realization shifted the approach. Instead of over-explaining the experience, we let the students’ art lead the way. The final piece became a visual-driven film built around illustration, animation, and design work, using student projects as the primary storytelling device. The result was a rich, energetic portrait of the school that felt authentic to the creative culture it represents.

From that shoot, we also developed a series of individual student profile videos. These pieces allowed for deeper storytelling, pairing interviews with focused showcases of each student’s work, from web design to illustration and animation.

Our Expertise

See Details

Retail

Retail isn’t about telling people what to buy. It’s about making them feel something fast enough to stop scrolling, step inside, or click add to cart. We help retail brands translate strategy into motion: campaign films, in-store storytelling, social cut-downs, and cinematic product moments that actually drive behavior. In a world where attention is brutal, and loyalty is earned daily, we make work that’s built to convert, not just look good.

Insurance & Finance

Insurance and finance are built on trust, but trust doesn’t come from playing it safe. We help financial and insurance brands communicate complex ideas with clarity, credibility, and real human presence. From retirement and investing to claims, coverage, and risk, we translate abstract systems into stories people can actually understand and believe. The work has to feel smart, grounded, and modern—because audiences can smell corporate nonsense instantly.

See project

Healthcare

Healthcare storytelling lives at the intersection of science, emotion, and trust. We help healthcare brands communicate complex ideas with clarity while never losing sight of the human stakes involved. From patient stories to research, innovation, and care delivery, our work balances precision and empathy without slipping into sentimentality. The goal is confidence, not comfort theater.

See project

Higher Education

Higher ed isn’t selling amenities or slogans, it’s shaping identity, ambition, and future paths. We help universities and colleges tell stories that balance intellectual rigor with emotional pull, without slipping into glossy brochure mode. From recruitment and brand campaigns to research, faculty, and student life, our work makes institutions feel alive, relevant, and forward-looking. The goal is belief, not hype.

Less junkMore space

WE DON’T STICK TO SAFE SPACE

Let’s Build something great together

Get in touch

We are Standing By