Princeton University approached us with a unique challenge: The school’s informal motto of “Princeton in the Nation’s Service,” penned by former Princeton and U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, was in need of an update. Alumna and Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor had offered one — “Princeton in the Nation’s Service and the Service of Humanity” — but this change needed to be properly presented to alumni who were already resistant to more changes on campus.
We approached this challenge with a video concept that emphasized that not only was the concept of service to the nation and all of humanity inherent in the Princeton experience, it was a common thread that connected Princetonians across cultures, genders, academic disciplines, even generations. Using an orange thread as a visual metaphor that ran throughout, we were able to show Princeton’s service at work on campus and around the world, all tied to the traditional beauty of its campus itself.
