Southeast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University
Find Your Fearless.
Find your fearless.
Scope of work
Visual & Verbal Brand Concepts, Brand Guidelines and Training, Video Production, Media Campaign
SEMO came to us to help reinvigorate a tired brand from a higher ed era that is slipping away. To go up against the newest and most existential competitor — no college at all — we needed to dig into the truth behind that trend. The honest answer is that students are afraid of an uncertain world with no sure thing. The new brand leans into that observation and makes it the platform for the brand, in a way that feels unmistakeably, fearlessly, SEMO.
Months of collaborative strategy work and initial creative exploration through a temporary bridge campaign led us to a brand platform that balances direct practicality with empowering messaging and a little bit of grit.
These new spirit marks that suppliment SEMO's existing academic identity.
Video
This rebrand needed to be a big cultural moment to reintroduce SEMO again, and an anthem video was always part of the plan for the brand launch. We started with the concept and script, and brought on Outsider to help bring it to life.
The piece explores perseverance through fear using four real student stories. Four students preparing, rehearsing, anticipating, almost dreading a big moment. Over the course of two days we found ourselves shooting under the spotlights on the field, backstage in the theatre, locked down in the cybersecurity situation room, and hurtling down a runway with the aviation students.
Conceptual site design. Following this work, I consulted for our digital team while they reskinned the full SEMO.edu site, which is live here.
The Holland College of Art & Media
SEMO's art school, naturally, has always been the black sheep in their brand, having it's own identity that didn't fully fit in, or stand out from the parent brand. We gave the Holland College an updated look and feel that felt like a true spin-off of the new institutional identity—creatively expressive while still making sense in the brand architecture.
Brand Launch
This rebrand was a huge moment for SEMO. As we started to build guidelines and schedule training sessions, we also wanted to help launch it loudly, boldly, and unapologetically.
SEMO celebrated their brand launch during their university homecoming weekend, and with the inauguration of their new president. So we sent them off with ideas and tools to challenge the community to fearless acts, in the many ways that fearlessness can show up. The client team took the ideas and ran with them, bringing the idea to life all across the university.
"You know, it would be pretty fearless for the president to rappel down from the ceiling to his own inauguration."
Proof that there's no bad idea in a brainstorm.
Notes
Created at SimpsonScarborough
Collaborators
Bilal Sheik — Writing
Amber Koski — Design
Amanda Caskey — Design
Emily Barriball — Writing
Torre Mower — Project Management
Outsider Video and Motion — Video Production
Andrea Kruska — Accounts
Chris Huebner — Strategy
Role
Creative direction and project lead, design, and video art direction
Date
2025
© wilkeworks, llc 2026
© wilkeworks, llc 2026
