Boise State University:
UnBridled

Powering a $500m
 vision with the Heart of a Bronco.

As Boise State University launched its most ambitious fundraising effort to date, a $500 million comprehensive campaign, it faced a pivotal challenge: how to inspire giving at scale while maintaining brand cohesion with its recently refreshed institutional identity. The Advancement division needed a campaign sub-brand that could rally donors, unify internal stakeholders, and embody the bold spirit of a university on the rise.

Services

The Opportunity

The institutional brand campaign, Out of the Blue, already proved it could elevate academics and athletics, creating a unified, compelling story. With clearly defined fundraising pillars of student success and access, relentless faculty innovation, and supporting an elite athletics program, the comprehensive campaign needed to signal to donors that academic and athletic excellence are both essential to Boise State’s vision for the future.
From the Comprehensive Campaign Research Report, SimpsonScarborough 2023
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The Insight

Boise State’s Bronco mascot offered a singular, unifying metaphor: untamed, fearless, and charging forward.

As the university sought to connect giving across traditionally siloed areas like academics and athletics, we realized the Bronco (long a symbol of strength and spirit at Boise State) could serve as the campaign’s emotional engine. It perfectly captured the transformative energy behind Boise State’s campaign and became the heart of the story we would tell.

The Solution

We deployed a fully integrated approach spanning research, analytics, strategy, creative, and digital.

Grounded in insights from alums, donors, faculty, staff, and students, we crafted a sub-brand that aligned tightly with Boise State’s core identity while carving out a unique and inspirational campaign presence. The result? Unbridled: The Campaign for Boise State University. A name, a mark, a movement rooted in the Bronco spirit and brought to life through bold visuals, powerful messaging, and a seamless web experience. The campaign positions Boise State as a university unafraid to chase big dreams and invited its community to help make them real.

From the campaign brand training event

The Results

As of April 2025, The Unbridled campaign has driven remarkable progress toward its $500 million goal.

  • 28k+
    // individual donors engaged, demonstrating broad community momentum
  • 1,081
    // new scholarships 
created, including nearly $60M in endowed funds for student success
  • $400m
    // raised, closing in on the campaign’s full target
  • 16
    // endowed faculty positions
funded totaling $6.7M to support academic excellence
  • $130m
    // raised for athletics, fueling marquee projects like the North End Zone initiative

The Unbridled campaign has not only mobilized resources but also galvanized pride, transforming how stakeholders see Boise State, their role in its future, and the power of collective ambition.

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