Troy University's Lead Change campaign, created by Intermark in 2021, positioned the university as a leadership development engine, driving a 51% rise in
ARCHIVETroy University Bets on Leadership to Drive Enrollment
Troy University's Lead Change campaign is a 2021 film-based initiative created by Intermark that positions the university as a catalyst for developing leaders capable of meaningful social impact, targeting purpose-driven prospective students across the United States.
Troy University launched Lead Change publicly on May 7, 2021, at the university's Spring Commencement ceremony, according to Keg. The campaign emerged from a strategic ambition to shift how prospective students perceive the value of a Troy education — moving beyond traditional academic credentials toward a narrative of personal transformation and societal contribution. Rather than cataloguing programme offerings or campus facilities, Lead Change makes a single, direct proposition: that an education from Troy University equips individuals with the leadership skills to change the world from day one. The campaign carries a Clapboard Score of 57/100.
In the United States, where universities compete intensely for the attention of mission-motivated applicants, that proposition carries real strategic weight. The campaign's core creative device is an open challenge posed directly to viewers: "Do you have what it takes to change the world?" That question is not rhetorical decoration — it functions as a self-selection mechanism, inviting students who aspire to lead rather than simply to graduate, according to Troy Edu. The campaign contains a single film asset, concentrating the full weight of the brand argument into one narrative piece distributed across digital channels, according to Intermarkgroup. By October 2021, the campaign had been formally archived as a professional advertising work in the United States market, reflecting its standing as a deliberate brand-building effort rather than a tactical admissions push, according to Masoninteractive.
ARCHIVEIntermark built the Lead Change strategy on a proprietary research process. The Birmingham, Alabama agency was selected as Troy University's agency of record following a competitive request for proposals in 2020, and it subsequently employed a "Mind Mapping" methodology to identify the shared aspirations and motivations among prospective Troy students. That research revealed a consistent theme: the students Troy is best positioned to attract are those driven by purpose, specifically the desire to lead and to make a tangible difference in their communities and beyond.
That insight shapes every dimension of the campaign's strategic architecture, according to Digitalcommons Unl Edu. Rather than competing on price, location, or programme breadth — the conventional levers of higher-education marketing in the United States — Lead Change stakes Troy's claim on character formation and leadership development. Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr., Chancellor of Troy University, articulated the institutional rationale directly, stating: "There is a dire shortage of leaders in America — leaders with integrity, ability and vision. One of the most important things a university can do is prepare its students to become leaders." That framing transforms admissions marketing into a civic argument, positioning enrolment at Troy as a response to a genuine societal need.
The strategic context in the United States higher-education sector in 2021 was demanding. According to the American Marketing Association, higher-education Facebook advertising increased seven percent during the pandemic period, with institutions competing in an increasingly crowded digital environment. The Lead Change campaign responded not by increasing volume but by sharpening the brand's singular point of difference: servant leadership as an educational outcome, delivered through narrative film rather than feature-driven advertising.
Lead Change takes a narrative film approach to higher-education advertising. The campaign centres on a single film asset that frames a Troy University education as the beginning of a leadership journey rather than an endpoint defined by a certificate or a salary. On screen, the work presents prospective students with the direct challenge — "Do you have what it takes to change the world?" — anchoring the emotional argument in aspiration and self-reflection rather than institutional statistics or campus imagery. The film is built around the idea of becoming, not merely achieving, with the university positioned as the place where that process starts from day one.
Creative production for Lead Change began in March 2021. The campaign received internal approval in April 2021 and was launched publicly at Troy University's Spring Commencement ceremony on May 7, 2021. The choice of commencement as the launch moment is itself a creative and strategic decision — it places the campaign in direct dialogue with the idea of beginnings and transitions, the precise emotional territory Lead Change is designed to occupy.
The campaign was developed by Intermark, the Birmingham, Alabama agency that serves as Troy University's agency of record. Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr., Chancellor of Troy University, is documented as a named voice in the campaign's strategic development, stating that the Lead Change campaign aligns with Troy's primary mission to prepare leaders who will take action to effect change in the world through servant leadership. Production credits beyond the agency and institutional principals are not publicly documented in available sources.
Lead Change produced measurable outcomes in the United States market. According to Intermark, the campaign drove a 51% increase in new-user website visits to Troy University's Lead Change platform. That figure reflects genuine audience expansion — first-time visitors who had not previously engaged with the university's digital presence — rather than repeat traffic from existing audiences.
The enrollment results are more significant still. According to Intermark, Troy University recorded a 45% increase in enrollment over the three-year period following the campaign's launch. While that figure encompasses the full duration of the Lead Change platform rather than a single academic year, it represents a sustained directional shift in the university's ability to attract and convert prospective students — an outcome that connects the brand-level investment in leadership positioning to measurable admissions performance.
No verified award wins are recorded for Lead Change across Cannes Lions, the Effie Awards, The One Show, D&AD, the Clio Awards, or the Webby Awards, based on available sources. The campaign nonetheless demonstrates structural effectiveness: a single, coherent insight translated into a single film asset, deployed consistently over multiple years. Lead Change ran through at least 2023 before Troy University introduced a successor platform, "All Ways Real. Always TROY.", in 2025 — a lifespan that itself signals the campaign's durability as a strategic brand foundation in the competitive United States higher-education market.
Lead Change is a 2021 film campaign created by Intermark for Troy University, positioning the university as a leadership development institution. It challenges prospective students in the United States to ask whether they have what it takes to change the world, framing a Troy education as a platform for social impact and servant leadership from day one.
Lead Change launched on May 7, 2021, at Troy University's Spring Commencement ceremony. Creative production began in March 2021 and received approval in April 2021. The campaign was formally archived as a professional advertising work in the United States market by October 2021 and ran through at least 2023.
Intermark, a Birmingham, Alabama advertising agency, created Lead Change for Troy University. Intermark was selected as Troy University's agency of record following a competitive request for proposals process in 2020 and used a Mind Mapping methodology to identify the shared leadership aspirations of prospective Troy students before developing the campaign strategy.
According to Intermark, Lead Change drove a 51% increase in new-user website visits to Troy University's Lead Change platform. Intermark also reported a 45% increase in enrollment over the three years following the campaign's launch, connecting the leadership-focused brand positioning to sustained admissions growth in the United States higher-education market.
Intermark employed a Mind Mapping methodology to identify prospective students' shared aspirations, finding that purpose-driven leadership ambitions were central motivators. The resulting strategy positioned Troy University around servant leadership and social impact rather than conventional academic features, targeting applicants in the United States motivated by the desire to effect meaningful change.
No verified award wins for Lead Change are recorded across Cannes Lions, the Effie Awards, The One Show, D&AD, the Clio Awards, or the Webby Awards, based on available sources. Despite the absence of formal industry recognition, the campaign demonstrated structural effectiveness, running for over two years as Troy University's primary brand platform in the United States.
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