Clermont School of Business Wins a Keystone Award for Its Rebranding Campaign
Clermont School of Business has been awarded the Keystone Award for Best Marketing Campaign in Higher Education. This international recognition rewards the comprehensive communication strategy launched to support the school’s name change and new visual identity.
The award highlights the communication campaign conducted by the school during its rebranding and strategic repositioning, which took place at the end of September 2024. As a reminder, during the inauguration of its new Trudaine XL Campus, ESC Clermont Business School became Clermont School of Business—marking a major milestone in its development.
The campaign, praised by the Keystone jury, stood out for its authenticity, impact, and ability to mobilize a broad community—including students, alumni, partners, and local talent—to build a collective, inspiring, and unifying narrative that extends beyond regional and national borders.
Receiving a Keystone Award is a strong endorsement from a globally recognized leader in higher education marketing and student guidance. Each year, Keystone Education Group supports more than 100 million students across 190 countries in their search for academic institutions, making this recognition truly international in scope.
This award honors a campaign that reflects who we are: human-centered, inclusive, and future-oriented. With this recognition, Clermont School of Business reinforces its distinctive strategic position within the global network of leading business schools. It reaffirms its mission: to empower a new generation of changemakers by fostering values of openness, boldness, and strong local roots.
A Look Back at a Unifying Campaign
As part of its rebranding process, the School rolled out a structured communication strategy aimed at promoting its new name while ensuring a smooth and coherent transition for its various audiences. This approach was built around three complementary pillars:
1. A New Logo: A Symbol of a Reinvented Identity
The name change was accompanied by a redesigned logo, featuring a modernized typeface and a graphic symbol in the shape of an asterisk. The new logo retains the School’s historic colors—orange and blue—ensuring visual continuity. An explanatory motion design video was created to present the graphic choices and their meanings in a clear and accessible way.
2. An Offline/Online Campaign That Made a Lasting Impression
Locally, a billboard campaign was launched in strategic, high-visibility locations during a key period coinciding with the official announcement of the new name. The chosen visual design—both minimalist and educational—highlighted the new logo and its symbolism. This was complemented by targeted media coverage and digital campaigns to amplify the message’s reach. It was the coordination of all these efforts that ensured clear public understanding of the renewed identity and significantly boosted recognition of the new brand.
3. An Inspiring Video to Embody the Change
An immersive video featuring a graduate paragliding from the summit of the Puy de Dôme was produced. Premiered during the campus inauguration, the video reveals the School’s new name as the canopy unfolds. As it soars over Clermont-Ferrand, the footage showcases the region’s natural heritage, the School’s strategic location, and the evolution of its campus. An authentic voiceover emphasizes the School’s core identity pillars: roots, ambition, and commitment.
Stay updated with the latest news from Clermont School of Business by subscribing to our newsletter!