UC IRVINE — IMPACT CAMPAIGN

Progress Has a Voice

In a rapidly fragmented media environment, UC Irvine's Impact Campaign was designed to bring stories of discovery, innovation, and research directly into the daily lives of the Orange County community.

Through a coordinated omnichannel strategy spanning Connected TV, Native Editorial, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, the campaign elevated work from initiatives including Great Minds Think Together, Speak Up for Science, and Celebrating 60 Years under a unified impact narrative.

Rather than simply generating visibility, the campaign focused on making research feel culturally relevant, accessible, and human.

Connected TV/Native Editorial/Facebook/Instagram/YouTube

Delivered across premium digital, social, and living-room media environments.

DisneyHuluFoxParamountWarner Bros. DiscoverySling TV

AWARENESS + ENGAGEMENT

Building Awareness at Scale

In just six months, UC Irvine's Impact Campaign generated more than 4.34 million touch points across Orange County, bringing stories of discovery and innovation into premium media environments, social platforms, and living rooms throughout the community.

Beyond awareness, audiences actively engaged with the content across devices and platforms. The campaign generated more than 712,497 video views and 115,200 clicks, signaling that audiences were not simply exposed to the work — they were exploring it.

4.34M

Campaign Touch Points

712,497

Video Views

115,200

Engagement Clicks

98%

CTV Completion Rate

5.64%

Meta Click-Through Rate

Industry Benchmark

~1–2%

UC Irvine Campaign

5.64%

~230% Higher Than Industry Benchmarks

Research and science storytelling significantly exceeded traditional commercial engagement expectations, indicating unusually strong audience resonance and creative effectiveness.

RESEARCH ENGAGEMENT

Stories That Spark Curiosity

The strongest engagement emerged around research stories connected to profound human challenges, demonstrating that thoughtfully presented science and innovation content can drive meaningful public curiosity at scale.

Video Games & Alzheimer's Disease

16%+

Click-Through Rate

On Meta, Alzheimer's disease research content generated click-through rates exceeding 16%, dramatically outperforming standard engagement benchmarks and signaling deep audience interest in research connected to aging, memory, and human health.

Greenland Shark / Preserving Vision

1,729

Clicks · 3.69% CTR

The Greenland Shark and macular degeneration research story immediately drove audience action, generating strong click-through performance and demonstrating how accessible science storytelling can create meaningful exploration around UC Irvine's research impact.

Celebrating 60 Years

45.7%

TrueView Rate · 98% CTV

Celebrating 60 Years extended UC Irvine's story directly into community living rooms through premium Connected TV and YouTube placements. Despite skippable video environments, audiences continued watching at exceptionally high rates, significantly outperforming standard YouTube TrueView benchmarks and reinforcing the strength of the campaign's storytelling and creative execution.

Possibility is for everyone, and this campaign is helping ensure that research, innovation, and progress remain visible within the broader public conversation. Rather than treating discovery as something confined to academic spaces, the campaign positioned UC Irvine's impact directly within the cultural and media environments where communities already spend their time.

Research · Discovery · Community · Impact