Who: Seneca College and Forsman & Bodenfors.

What: A new student recruitment campaign using the tagline “challenge accepted.”

When & Where: The campaign is in market now, running through the fall. The anchor is a :60 TV and online ad, along with out-of-home, social and experiential elements.

Why: “Seneca really wanted a campaign that was bold,” said Matt Hassell, Forsman & Bodenfors chief creative officer. The “challenge accepted” positioning came out of discussions with the Seneca team. “We talked about the fact that one of the things students are going to need to thrive in a changing future is courage,” he said. The campaign presents confident-looking Seneca students ready to take on future challenges thanks to their experience at the school.

How: The TV spot is narrated by a rousing speech from Seneca’s founding president William Newnham, over top of an accelerating montage of Seneca students from across the school’s diverse offering of 300 programs—from firefighting and animation to design and technology.

“It’s Seneca and its students standing up for themselves in a world that often misses the value of a college education,” said Hassell. “The creative thrust achieves a balance between authenticity and ambition. We pose the students as heroes that want a challenge. And we avoid the usual tropes of students staring into the horizon, etc.”

From the client: “[W]hat’s common among our students… is this relentless commitment they bring to succeed,” said Seneca’s AVP of public affairs and community engagement, Renata D’Innocenzo, in a release. “We wanted to harness that feeling and showcase that no matter where you’re headed as a student, we will help you get there with terrific faculty and supports in the career-focused programs we offer.”