College of Western Idaho
Same defiance. A different voice.
Our Role
Spanish-Language Campaign Development
Video Production — VisionKit
Integrated Media Strategy
Audience Research & Strategy
Campaign Strategy & Creative Direction
Concept & Script Development
College of Western Idaho (CWI) serves students and employers across Idaho's Treasure Valley, offering accessible education, hands-on training, and career-focused programs that help Idahoans build their futures.
The Opportunity
Reaching a priority audience. Without losing the plot.
CWI's Let's Get Started enrollment campaign was built on a powerful insight: its biggest competitor wasn't another college. It was doubt.
As the platform evolved from self-doubt to defiance, CWI wanted to connect more meaningfully with Latino students and families across the Treasure Valley.
But meaningful connection would require more than translating existing creative. We needed to understand the community's aspirations, perceptions of higher education, and the barriers standing between students and their futures.
WE DIDN'T JUST CHANGE THE LANGUAGE. WE CHANGED WHO FELT PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
The Research
We listened before we spoke.
In partnership with Rathbone Falvey Research, we conducted dedicated qualitative research with Hispanic and Latino students, parents, and adult learners throughout the Treasure Valley.
10 in-depth interviews. Conducted with four parents, three high school students, and three adult learners, with a native Spanish-speaking moderator.
The findings challenged assumptions and revealed opportunities:
Technical careers deserve more credit. Families valued career and technical education, but some associated manual labor with limited prestige or advancement.
Cost is a major barrier. Affordability shaped education decisions across generations.
Belonging matters. Some families struggled to navigate the U.S. education system, making culturally relevant outreach and Spanish-language resources especially important.
Success is personal. Parents prioritized their children's happiness, stability, and work-life balance over prestige alone.
The opportunity wasn't simply to promote college. It was to show that CWI could turn practical skills and personal ambition into a future worth being proud of.
The Solution
Don't just translate. Connect.
We extended Let's Get Started 2.0 into Spanish with Empecemos, a culturally grounded, 30-second spot centered on CWI's automotive program.
The creative directly confronts skepticism about hands-on work and answers it with the defiant confidence at the heart of the larger campaign.
“Dicen que no se puede. Nosotros decimos míranos.”
They say it can't be done. We say—watch us.
Rather than relying on abstract promises, we put tangible skills, real environments, and career potential front and center.
01 / A Different Voice. The Same Defiance.
Building on a proven platform.
We carried the campaign's central idea—overcoming doubt through action—into a Spanish-language script that spoke directly to the audience's aspirations and lived experiences.
The opening acknowledges familiar skepticism:
“Dicen que la pasión no paga las cuentas… Que trabajar con las manos no nos llevará lejos.”
They say passion doesn't pay the bills… That working with your hands won't take us far.
Then the narrative shifts from doubt to determination, positioning CWI as a place to prove what's possible.
02 / Show What Success Looks Like.
Making opportunity tangible.
Produced in partnership with VisionKit, the spot brought CWI's automotive program to life through tools, engines, and real shop environments.
The visual storytelling positioned technical education as skilled, valuable work with the potential to create stability and opportunity.
No generic college imagery. No abstract aspirations. Just people building something real.
03 / Reach the Right People.
Audience-specific creative. Intentional placement.
The spot ran across Spanish-language and culturally targeted platforms to reach Latino audiences throughout the Treasure Valley.
The approach extended CWI's broader enrollment campaign while giving a priority audience a more relevant point of connection.
A message that connected.
60%
Ad recall among Latino respondents surveyed during the campaign period.
50%+
Of Latino respondents reported they would feel very proud to say they attend CWI.
The findings point to strong message retention and encouraging brand sentiment within a priority audience.
More importantly, Empecemos demonstrated the value of building from audience insight rather than assumptions—extending a unified campaign platform with creative that felt specific, relevant, and authentic.
Research Partner: Rathbone Falvey Research
Production Partner: VisionKit