In October 2019, Vladimir Jones took to the largest mall in the country, Mall of America, to educate people about the importance of Native American culture, heritage, and education, and the role that our client, the American Indian College Fund, has in all of it.
American Indians face substantial challenges in pursuing higher education. It’s a difficult journey, with a dream at the start; greater opportunity at the finish; and dizzying obstacles throughout. In many ways, it’s a maze.
We built the maze as a rich metaphor for what Native students go through—everything from staggeringly high rates of poverty and unemployment on reservations, to daily misunderstandings around their culture, traditions, and identities. Then there’s the inspiring fact that they persevere and succeed anyway.
Drawing from the real-life experience of Native students, we built “Journey to Success.”
The winding passageways and dead ends, providing physical simulations of the difficult journey Native students travel, weren’t the only way we told our story. We also covered the walls with real quotes from College Fund scholars, shocking statistics, and powerful images of Native students who pursued the path to college.
In just one day, more than 800 people experienced the maze firsthand. On target, the installation generated more awareness of the mission of the College Fund. This exposure also raised more money for the College Fund and increased its base of potential donors for future fundraising efforts.
The best part? All of this was only the beginning. In 2020, we’re preparing for the maze to continue traveling the country to educate others about the American Indian College Fund and the importance of preserving Native American culture through higher education.
Vladimir Jones is Colorado’s original independent, integrated advertising agency, with offices in Denver and Colorado Springs. We believe in brilliant brands and love making the world love them as much as we do.