Making excellence accessible

Imperial College London
Tone of voice. Brand language. Prospectus copywriting.

Helping one of the world’s leading science universities let out its inner geek.

A young woman in a white chef's coat smiling in a professional kitchen with shelves and blue walls, overlaid with a yellow and blue banner containing the words "Imperial College London" and "MAKE EXCELLENCE".

What we did

Tone of voice
Messaging
Brand positioning
Copywriting

Around the world, Imperial College London stands for academic and scientific excellence.

But excellence shouldn’t mean elitism. Imperial wants students to apply because of their talent and enthusiasm, not their background or bank balance. As part of a larger initiative called ‘Widening Participation’, they approached Lark to see where their language and tone could be made less ‘imperial’ (or imperious), and more inclusive.

Colorful illustrated map of London with neighborhood names, parks, rivers, and transportation routes.
A page from a guide or instructional material with the title 'How does it look in practice?' in large blue font, containing a sample rejection letter with annotations and comments on the side. The page has a blue header and is set against a gray background.

The sci-fi writer John Scalzi once said:

“Many people believe geekdom is defined by a love of a thing – but I think the true sign of a geek is a delight in sharing a thing.

“It’s the major difference between a geek and a hipster. When a hipster sees someone else grooving on the thing they love, their reaction is: Oh no! Now the wrong people like the thing I love.’

“But when a geek sees someone else grooving on the thing they love, their reaction is: ‘YOU LOVE WHAT I LOVE. COME WITH ME AND LET’S LOVE IT TOGETHER!’.”

The guys at Imperial are definitely STEM geeks. But too often, they’re also accused of being (academic) hipsters, snobs and elitists.

Open magazine with text and photos of young people, including a woman with glasses and braids, and a group of diverse students on stage, smiling and dancing.
A printed sign with text in yellow and blue on a dark background, discussing feeling in practice versus idealism.

So, as part of the work they’re doing to attract a more diverse intake, we created an insightful, intuitive tone of voice guide to help them add inclusivity and inspiration to the excellence they’re already renowned for. We then put it into practice on the pages of their 2021 and 2022 undergrad prospectuses.

We’re not really the target market, but they certainly made us want to apply.

Oh to be 18 again. And also good at science.

Map of central London highlighting neighborhoods such as Westminster, Chelsea, Fulham, Battersea, and Camden, with icons representing parks, landmarks, and transportation options.
Smiling young woman with glasses and braids outdoors, with overlaid text promoting Imperial College London and making education accessible.
A yellow page with black and blue text about how to determine if something sounds 'cool' in practice, explaining the importance of authenticity and context.

More work

Three students sitting at a classroom table, writing in notebooks. Behind them is a colorful classroom wall with student artwork, posters about the human body, multiplication tables, and world maps. The students are wearing blue uniforms.

Dementia UK

Brand awareness campaign

 

A young woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a teal hoodie and black, white, and gray patterned leggings, smiles while holding a yellow kettlebell with '8KG' written on it in front of her. The background features a bright yellow pattern with zigzag lines and the word 'Raise' in large black letters.

Bowel Cancer UK

Verbal and visual identity