curious & Capable Wiley marketing campaign

Client
Wiley

Year
2023

Role
Creative Director

For Wiley’s first-ever in-house brand marketing campaign I led a cross-functional team in bringing strategy to life. Previously outsourced to agencies, this initiative marked a turning point in Wiley’s brand storytelling maturity.

I directed a team of creatives in designing a creative system, executing assets cross-platform, and training global teams on campaign creative and usage.

I also extended the campaign to environmental branding at Wiley’s international showcase at Frankfurt Book Fair. The campaign’s visual world came to life through large-scale installation, lighting, florals, and thoughtful swag. Feedback included:

“Everybody loved the stand - bright, full of energy, and welcoming.”

“Our branding retains a strong sense of differentiation from the competition”
“Customers mentioned it was the most attractive stand in Hall 4.0.”

Results:

+37% social link clicks with a 3.5% lower post volume
195K+ impressions in first 30 days (33% from paid IG ads)
Homepage CTR up 37% over average hero banner
Landing page views surged 443% vs previous campaigns
+505% unique page views
Event ROI target of $915,000 was exceeded by $2.19M—more than 3x ROI.

This campaign not only raised Wiley’s creative bar—it proved that powerful storytelling doesn’t require outsourcing.

Creative Strategy & System Design

The mission was to create a unifying marketing campaign for FY2024, for both the larger Wiley brand and all of its global products, something that had never been done before at Wiley.

The goal was to engage new audiences and connect with existing customers by presenting a customer-first message and Wiley as helping to clear the way for customers.

The message and visuals were positive, inspirational and uplifting: You are curious AND capable, and we are here to help you.

A smiling woman with curly hair and red lipstick taking a selfie against a pink background, with overlay text reading 'Curious and Capable Playbook' and branding for Wiley.

Page titled "The Story" with text explaining Wiley's focus on research and learning, supporting seekers of knowledge, and promoting innovation and leadership. The tone includes keywords "Personal," "Focused," and "Energetic" highlighted in yellow.

A slide from a presentation titled 'When to Use: Corporate Use Case'. It discusses various questions and their respective uses, including 'Curious and Capable' in yellow and 'Wiley Branding' in green, with explanations on campaign stories and branding strategies.

A presentation slide about the importance of using the voice 'what works' in culture development, emphasizing inclusive, clear language to stay focused, and the role of curiosity and capability in effective communication.

A presentation slide with the title 'The Vision,' displaying images of diverse people: a man holding a laptop, scientists working in a laboratory, a butterfly on a person's hand, and a woman talking on her phone with a tablet.

A layout showing a color palette with bright yellow and dark berry shades, including their RGB, HEX, and CMYK codes, demonstrating usage examples with text on colored backgrounds, and instructions on how to use the colors in design.

A campaign page titled "Photo Direction" showing example photos of curious and capable individuals. The first row has a woman with a thoughtful expression, a girl sitting outdoors, and a man looking through a microscope. The second row shows a rocket launch, a person in a conference room with a rocket image, and a smiling woman with dreadlocks.

Content design: homepage, landing page, social media

Laptop displaying Wiley website with a pink background and a woman smiling while touching her chin.

Laptop displaying Wiley website with a banner reading 'Let curiosity guide you' and a young person looking upward.

Laptop displaying a colorful grid of articles and images related to curiosity and creativity on a white wall background.

Screenshot of a music streaming app showing a playlist titled 'Ask the Question' by Wiley, including songs such as 'Where Is My Mind?' by Pixies, 'What Is Love - 7" Mix' by Haddaway, 'Life on Mars? - 2015 Remix' by David Bowie, and 'Kill For Love' by Lady Gaga. The app interface has a pink background, with navigation icons at the bottom.

Marketing/ad design

Curious and Capable campaign was used by the APAC division to launch a contest “Brilliance Meets Imagination”, comprised of ads, posters, and email comms.

Announcement from Wiley about a contest called 'Brilliance Meets Imagination,' encouraging students to create Instagram reels with Wiley books or textbooks for a chance to win prizes, with social media icons and contact information at the bottom.

The campaign was used by the digital media team to promote Back to School textbook sales

Purple background with yellow and white text asking whether to choose print or eBook, renting or buying for the new school year, with publisher Wiley

Image of three books on a yellow desk titled "Find affordable print books and eBooks." The books are "Marketing Research," "Operations & Supply Chain Management," and "Organizational Behavior." The publisher is Wiley.

Three books about accounting and forensic accounting, titled Financial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, and Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination, placed on a pink surface with a laptop, a notepad, and a pen nearby.

A woman with glasses wearing a denim jacket holding a laptop, smiling against a purple background with yellow text that says, 'Discover the course materials you need to excel.'

A woman wearing glasses and a pink blouse, sitting at a desk, thinking with a pen in her mouth in front of an open laptop and a notebook, next to an advertisement with purple background and white and yellow text.

Laptop displaying the Wiley website with a woman smiling and holding a laptop.

Laptop displaying the Wiley website with book categories including Physical Sciences, Engineering, Business, Accounting, Health Sciences, and Psychology.

Event Design and Afterparty Assets (Frankfurt Book Fair)

Booth at a trade show with a large screen displaying a man with glassess and brown hair inside a bookshelf, with the words 'Embrace curiosity, Never stop questioning' in yellow and magenta text. The booth has the word 'Wiley' on top and features wooden and black metal shelving with photos of diverse people.

Trade show exhibit with company booths and people engaging in conversations.

A photo taken at a book fair showing part of a large poster of a man wearing glasses and a green shirt. In the background, there is a green wall with a digital screen displaying the text "WILEY Cocktails and Curiosity" and a leaf with a butterfly on it. A white table with three white chairs and a red cup is visible, with a woman in a black jacket standing in the background.

Trade show booth for Wiley, featuring seating areas, digital screens, and promotional displays, with attendees engaging and networking in a large exhibition hall.

A book fair booth for Wiley featuring books on topics such as epidemiology, storytelling, and hacking. There is a wooden display wall with books, plants, and flowers, with a large digital screen advertising an event called 'Cocktails and Curiosity.' Several people are seated at a table with lamps, engaging in conversation.