New Branding Elevates Us

Rebecca Monsanto, a sophomore Molecular Biology major, is filmed for the University’s new brand video.
Rebecca Monsanto, a sophomore Molecular Biology major, is filmed for the University’s new brand video.

The University’s institutional brand identity highlights the passion and grit of Montclair State students – and shows how a Montclair State education elevates them to new heights.

In a recent brand video, it also shows students proving naysayers wrong: “Definitely in my life, there has been someone who says, ‘Oh, you can’t do that. Or you’re not that good,’” says junior Brandon Vargas. “That always motivates me to do it and to do it better than I did before.”

Vargas, a Family Science and Human Development major, is one of nine students chosen to represent the University in a Communications and Marketing video that showcases Montclair State’s values: empowering, welcoming and committed to excellence.

Agency partner, The EFK Group, tested four different concepts for the brand, and students picked “Elevate” by a wide margin. “I think it really speaks to how tenacious and hard working they are,” says Joseph Brennan, vice president for University Communications and Marketing.

Rebecca Monsanto, a sophomore Molecular Biology major, says she identifies with the can-do spirit of the video’s final line: “We were too busy to listen.”

“My motto is always do what you’re afraid of,” she says.