Brand New Brand: Study Abroad

Guess what? InterVarsity now has a ministry for study abroad! This new department helps InterVarsity students connect with the IFES movement where they are studying, holds retreats for them over breaks and helps them think about sharing their faith while abroad. InterVarsity is also partnering to have an actual study abroad program to Paris and Barcelona! 


As many of you know, I studied abroad in Germany and was involved there with our sister movement Studenten Mission Deutschland (SMD). The SMD students and staff  (love you, Reiner and Martina!) helped me find an apartment, and a church. I joined their Bible study, I attended their shows, I went on retreats, I spoke more German with them than anywhere else. They made my study abroad ten times better. So, naturally, I was über-excited to work on Study Abroad's communications.

A brand new program needs a...ahem...brand. But first they wanted to recruit a few students--so I helped them with an Ireland retreat e-brochure. Then they wanted to explain their mission. 2100 video team member David Hui traveled to Rome, Barcelona, and Paris to do interviews, and I art directed and supervised our summer intern Ryan Holmquist as he designed an opener and titles for the video, and an explanatory brochure.  

Meet Diana, Paul, and Ingrid, three American students serving and sharing faith while studying in Europe:
  Studying Abroad As Mission from InterVarsity twentyonehundred on Vimeo.
 As we worked on the brochure and video, we realized the logo Study Abroad had commissioned from an outside designer wasn't in line with InterVarsity colors, and wasn't very easy to work with--dusty pink, anyone? In fact all the missions department logos were all a little off. I talked with each department's leaders and made small changes to the whole collection, so it looks more 'InterVarsity.' It's no easy task, but we're working on all our ministries looking like a recognizable family. The changes are small--from black to navy outlines, for example--but make a difference in looking authentic together.

Now Study Abroad has a video, and will soon have a brochure, web and social media headers, and e-brochures for their gatherings. They look like a (newest!) member if a trusted family. Slowly, we're building a whole new brand. And a brand new way to reach the world!