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Why now, and why this matters

Student recruitment is central to Sussex's recovery and rebuilding plan - it's what sustains the research, teaching and community that makes Sussex the university that it is.

Built around our new brand identity, Right Here, Right Now is our most ambitious recruitment campaign to date, designed to increase awareness, excite prospective students, and ultimately drive applications for 2027 entry.

The ‘hero’ film

Working with production agency Gusto, the Marketing team has created a ‘hero film’ - a flagship video that sits at the centre of a campaign - that serves as its creative backbone, showcasing an authentic look at what it feels like to choose Sussex .

It opens with a simple but relatable observation: a prospective student doom-scrolling late at night, overwhelmed by choice, trying to figure out where they belong. Then a Sussex post interrupts the scroll, and everything changes.

A creative concept unlike any other

The hero film is unlike anything Sussex has put out before.

Our protagonist is pulled into the Sussex world, the scroll becomes real, and the content she was consuming materialises around her. She doesn’t just watch Sussex; she steps into it, driven entirely by curiosity. Each moment of interest takes her somewhere new, exploring all the possibilities at Sussex: connections with academics, friendships, societies, campus, Brighton seafront, the South Downs, and more.

The film weaves in fragments of real student voices from their Sussex journeys, their doubts, excitement, and realisations, like overheard thoughts that resonate with prospective students.

By the end, the initial uncertainty gives way to excitement about what’s possible.

Designed to reach prospective students where they are

The hero film will live on our website and main campaign page, and key listing platforms where prospective students are actively researching their options. Alongside it, we have produced a punchy 30-second version for streaming ads on iTV and Channel 4 to reach a wider audience. Additionally, three 15-second edits optimised for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts are designed to spark interest for the targeted audience.

Every format is intentional and carries the same look, feel and energy.

How you can help

The campaign will go live on TV from Tuesday 31 March, followed by digital and social channels shortly after. If you spot it, please share it - every view counts. And if you know students doing something remarkable that deserves to be part of future content, we'd love to hear from you.

This is just the beginning.

Watch the film here.