Raising Indigenous University Participation.

‘Think Your Way’ was developed while working at Carbon Media for a QUT and the Australian Federal Government to deliver a higher education initiative, to increase indigenous participation in higher education. The campaign connected traditional indigenous storytelling pathways with modern educational journeys, featuring real student stories captured through their own devices.

Drawing on ancient Songlines – the traditional indigenous pathways for sharing knowledge across Australia – the campaign’s visual identity merged cultural elements with contemporary design through a warm color palette and distinctive typography. The digital platform transformed conventional university messaging into authentic peer-to-peer storytelling, empowering indigenous students to see university education as their own unique journey.

This approach positioned higher education as both culturally relevant and individually achievable, with each student encouraged to think their own way toward university education.

The Challenge

Queensland University of Technology faced a critical mission: to increase indigenous Australian participation in higher education. With traditionally low engagement rates in university studies among indigenous communities, QUT needed to reshape perceptions and create genuine connections with potential students.

Cultural Foundation

As an indigenous-owned agency, Carbon Media brought deep cultural understanding to this project. Drawing on the profound significance of Songlines – the traditional pathways that crisscross Australia carrying stories and cultural knowledge – the campaign connected these ancient ways of sharing knowledge with modern educational journeys. The core idea to this creative strategy was to use the idea of the individual’s life journey, using the visual metaphor of the songline and literally imagery of people and places. This presentation of the meaningful and the literal creates a depth and allows for an enormous range in messaging.

Core insight: If you see it, you can be it

“Think Your Way” empowers indigenous students to see university education as their own unique journey. The campaign transforms traditional student testimonials into personal pathway stories, acknowledging that everyone’s route to higher education is different and equally valid. By featuring real indigenous students sharing their university experiences through their own lens, we created authentic storytelling that resonated with our audience, showing that this potential future is not just for other-people, but possible for them.