The “SMU students are different” campaign last year attracted considerable press coverage and debate, while fostering increased competition for admission, a higher calibre of applicants, and an increase in the percentage of conversions from first level offers.

Following on for the 2004 intake, SMU launched a new campaign in December. The series of four advertisements in the first phase of the campaign focused on the key attributes of “Heart, Life, Passion, Soul” and featured different SMU students, photographed by celebrity photographer Russell Wong.

Each one illustrated with personal passion the values, character, culture, and community spirit of SMU.

The second phase of the campaign celebrates the SMU Edge with “Get The SMU Edge, Make A Difference”. The SMU Edge highlights and embodies the intrinsic as well as the extrinsic qualities of SMU. The intrinsic factors embrace the pedagogy, the seminar-style, interactive mode of learning, the intellectual, analytical and creative skills – the making of a complete professional. The extrinsic factors celebrate the bold, the confident, the articulate, the people and life skills – the making of a leader and entrepreneur with a heart. All these give the students the cutting edge in life and in starting their career, and make a difference in their contributing to A Difference” recalls the “SMU students are different” campaign, and takes it a step forward.

Both series of ads carry a cheerful new icon: the “I Love / We Love SMU” logo. Designed in a friendly, informal hand-drawn style, this icon represents the unique relationship between the students and SMU. The “Love SMU” concept has a life of its own beyond the advertising campaign. It gets to the heart of what makes SMU, revealing the essence, unique personality and culture of our university.