Atlanta Public Schools "APS is" Campaign

Atlanta Public Schools serves a large and diverse urban student population within a highly visible public education environment. While the district delivered meaningful academic and community initiatives, its public narrative suffered from negative perceptions of a distant cheating scandal, and lacked cohesion across schools, events, and media channels. A unified storytelling framework was needed to rebuild trust, clarify district values, and scale messaging consistently across the system.

 THE CHALLENGE

Atlanta Public Schools needed to rebuild public trust and unify district messaging in a complex urban education environment. Brand perception was fragmented across schools, events, and media touchpoints.

The challenge was to architect a scalable narrative system that could clarify district values, replace generic representation with authentic student storytelling, and drive measurable community engagement at scale.

MY ROLE

As Brand Creative Director, I:

• Developed the strategic narrative framework for district repositioning

• Identified seven core values to anchor messaging

• Designed the “APS Is” campaign architecture

• Implemented new visual standards limiting stock photography

• Directed OOH creative and messaging integration

• Oversaw event branding alignment for consistency and amplification

THE APPROACH

1. Narrative Clarity Through Core Values

I identified and codified seven core values to anchor district-wide narrative clarity. These values, as keywords, became the foundation of the “APS Is” platform.

Each keyword was framed in a visual box element echoing the APS logo, reinforcing brand recognition while maintaining modular flexibility.

2. Authentic Visual Representation

We implemented new creative standards limiting stock imagery in favor of real APS students and staff. This shift strengthened credibility and reinforced trust.

3. Integrated OOH Activation

The campaign extended into paid print advertising and MARTA trains and buses to amplify reach during specific initative launches like the “Back-to-School Bash” promotion. Messaging consistency ensured brand clarity across all channels.

OUTCOMES

• 230% increase in Back-to-School Bash attendance

• 1M+ impressions in 4 weeks via MARTA OOH placements

• District-wide visual and narrative alignment

• Stronger authenticity through real student representation

• Established scalable messaging platform across channels