For the third instalment in our ‘HE Copy We Love’ series, showcasing the very best of higher education marketing, we’re focusing on a film from one of our clients, UCL, about their medical sciences research.
Released in September 2024, this two-and-a-half minute video is a masterclass in economical storytelling.
Here’s three aspects of this promotional film that raise it head and shoulders above the rest:
1. Every single word pulls its weight
The subject is far from simple. There’s some serious science going on, and the filmmakers don’t shy away from it or dumb it down. But a super-sharp script makes every line count, with an almost-obsessive respect for your valuable attention.
Consider the first ten seconds. Even in that tiny timeframe they communicate so effectively that even if you only watched those ten seconds, you’d still have a pretty good idea what the video was about.
Caption – ‘Research groups from UCL are studying new therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases’.
Second caption – ‘In a place often overlooked.’
Voiceover – ‘It’s our own cells’.
See what we mean? You’ve got the who, the what and the where, right from the off. And there’s even a little mini-cliffhanger in there, set up by the second caption and answered by the voiceover (what master copywriter Eddie Shleyner would call a fascination).
2. There’s a playful disregard for the conventions of the ‘science vid explainer’
You’ve seen this classic format a thousand times before – in many ways, it’s no different from the kind of clip they’ve always used to explain new scientific discoveries on the TV news.
The twist here is the recurring element of surprise. Whether it’s the quick cutaway edit to a hand gesture as a visual metaphor for matching pairs of human cells, or a researcher’s sudden confession of poetic leanings, you’re never sure what’s coming next.
It’s not just visual flair for the sake of it, though. Behind a lot of this cliche-busting, there’s also a deeper intention at work.
3. Tell me your values without telling me your values
Put a scientist (or any kind of expert) on screen, and your eyes instinctively drop to the bottom-left, looking for a name and fancy job-title.
Except in this video, each member of the research team is left unnamed, untitled. By the time the fourth or fifth researcher has been introduced, you realise you don’t know which one’s a professor, which one’s a research fellow – who’s in charge?
The omission of this ever-present naming convention helps us to see the researchers (and lab technicians) as equally valued, each playing a vital role in the group. The only clue about who might be in charge comes in the form of some wry banter between two of the more senior contributors, talking about how fast twenty years can go by.
Combine this with the disarmingly frank commentary (‘it can be frustrating’, ‘it’s always coming up just short…and then you start to question yourself’), and you’re left with a strong impression of a lively, person-centred, inclusive research culture.
Kudos to The UCL Faculty of Medical Sciences Head of Marcomms, Moy Lanade and her team, for this meticulously crafted slice of research life.
Did you enjoy this science vid as much as we did? Are there any other brilliant HE marketing campaigns you’d like to see highlighted? Get in touch, either on LinkedIn or at jo@allthingswords.co.uk.