Taking Hampden-Sydney College from out of touch to in the moment.

Hampden-Sydney, a college older than America itself, came to us during the pandemic looking to reimagine their traditional college lookbook. They wanted to challenge 17 year-olds’ assumptions about the storied institution—make them see that it wasn't just a dusty old place living off their hallowed history.

Our solution? The Swagalog—a cover to cover overhaul of their lookbook that more closely resembled a magalog. It breathed new life into an all too traditional approach by combining vintage illustrations with satirical humor.

As part of our press push, we mailed the Swagalog to higher education and design industry reporters, hoping they would also experience the same level of intrigue and surprise as our college hopefuls. And it had that effect, landing press in Inside Higher Ed, Graphic Design USA, Print Mag, and more.

Now in its second edition, The Swagalog continues to turn heads and attract students. HSC has seen a 54% increase in applications since implementing the new approach.