SUNY Maritime
Seeking the Horizon
Updating publications for SUNY Maritime College.
Anchored in Tradition, Focused on the Future
SUNY Maritime College had an interesting challenge in its ongoing mission to provide outstanding education and training for students pursuing maritime careers. The Regiment of Cadets, a military-style group of students and one of the college’s longest-standing traditions, was overly dominant in the school’s imagery and literature, giving prospective students the impression that Maritime was a military academy with a significant gender gap.
In partnering with Spark451, SUNY Maritime hoped to show the broad range of programs and careers available to a similarly broad range of students. Simultaneously, Maritime wanted to establish a clear brand aesthetic and identity. This new approach would be implemented through an updated travel piece, viewbook, and two graduate brochures.
A Story of Ambition
Spark451’s creative team brainstormed a solution that would remain grounded in SUNY Maritime’s strengths and traditions, while illuminating the many facets of the school often overshadowed by the Regiment. To capture the hard-working, career-focused spirit that infuses the campus, we developed the overarching theme: “Ambitious. Dedicated. SUNY Maritime.”
We created an aesthetic that paid subtle homage to nautical motifs while keeping a clean, contemporary feel. Stunning shots of Maritime’s campus, uniquely situated on Throggs Neck in New York Harbor, pointed to the advantages of learning and working in one of the largest ports on the Eastern Seaboard. Supporting photos emphasized the school’s dynamic activities, varied academic offerings, and diverse-but-united student body. The breadth of Maritime’s programs was further emphasized through the organization of information, with majors grouped into categories to clearly display the different career paths available to students.
We created an aesthetic that paid subtle homage to nautical motifs while keeping a clean, contemporary feel. Stunning shots of Maritime’s campus, uniquely situated on Throggs Neck in New York Harbor, pointed to the advantages of learning and working in one of the largest ports on the Eastern Seaboard.
Groundbreaking Wave-making Graduate Programs
Maritime had a different set of goals for its International Transportation Management and Maritime and Naval Studies master’s program brochures. The programs are unique, and the attendant literature needed to provide informative explanations. Spark451 worked closely with Maritime staff and faculty to capture a sense of identity for the educators and curricula of each program, providing a clear and attractive vignette to potential students.
Smooth Sailing
The campaign clarified and rejuvenated SUNY Maritime’s brand, as the institution faces a bold new future. With the four print pieces already influencing prospective students at college fairs throughout the Northeast, Maritime is well positioned to carry one of the nation’s oldest industries into the modern era.
