Chosen because the Cardigan Mountain School won Bronze for Magazine in the 2021 Brilliance Awards. The team of Emily Magnus, Editor; Judith Solberg, Director of Archives; and Chris Adams, Director of Communications and Marketing at Cardigan told InspirED about the anniversary publication.

“Devoting an entire issue to one concept is risky, but this Cardigan Chronicle pays off the gamble. In these 75 vignettes, past and present, a reader comes to understand exactly what Cardigan Mountain School is all about.”

— Brilliance Awards Judge's Comment

“[The Magazine] was a natural choice for providing an ‘alternate’ reunion experience after Cardigan’s in-person celebration was postponed. ”

— Chris Adams, Director of Communications and Marketing

Whether your school is embarking on its 200th anniversary or 10th, it’s a time for celebration and pride for the entire community.

Cardigan Mountain School marked its 75th Anniversary in 2021, with plans for celebrations of the milestone year beginning a few years prior. The goal was to leverage anniversary celebrations to increase Cardigan’s outreach, engagement, and stewardship.

When the pandemic made it impossible to hold the planned in-person reunion celebration safely that year, the School pivoted to using print and web platforms for “special events.” The team focused on consistent messaging across platforms, building excitement for an eventual gathering and reinforcing pride in the school community.

The 75th Aniversary Issue of the Cardigan Chronicle was a result of all those goals.

“On every page, design, copy, and photography work together wonderfully. (The astonishing collection of photographs, so thoughtfully curated, deserves a story of its own.) An outstanding issue.”

— Brilliance Awards Judge's Comment

Magazine Covers for COVID

“While some of our anniversary outreach targeted specific groups (by class year, level of support, or other affinity group),” say Chris Adams, Director of Communications and Marketing, “we were keenly aware that the widely-distributed Chronicle magazine reaches all corners of our school community. It was a natural choice for providing an ‘alternate’ reunion experience after Cardigan’s in-person celebration was postponed.”

Choose Topics over Timeline

The format of the main feature grew from a suggestion by Cardigan’s graphic designer. In addition to being visually appealing, the magazine’s team realized that including one topic for every year of the school’s history would allow them to include a broad range of topics without struggling to map them to a timeline or narrative.

“Instead,” says Chronicle Editor Emily Magnus, “we aimed to evoke the special combination of emotions that could be prompted by a return to campus in the fall: a nostalgic recollection of the past; the excitement of seeing current students engaged in daily life; and above all, an appreciation of continuity in school culture.”

In January 2021, Emily called together the editorial board to review and refine a list of topics that might represent the essence of the school. Working in close partnership Judith Solberg, Cardigan’s archivist, Emily and Chris then selected and researched 75 topics, using historical and contemporary photos—sometimes in conjunction—to illustrate each theme. Guest authors were also invited to write on some of the topics.

Emily then worked closely with the external designer to determine the layout and design of the magazine. The whole process from conception to distribution took about 8 months.

Go Bigger And Share The Expense

The 104-page issue was distributed to 6,500 addresses worldwide. It was also distributed through the Admission Office that sent it, along with the School’s primary recruiting viewbook, to prospective families. Running short, Cardigan ended up doing a second smaller run of 300 copies — some of which went to the Admission Office and others were saved for the 75th Anniversary celebration that will (finally!) take place in the fall of 2022.

Because it was connected to the school’s 75th Anniversary, there were additional funds to supplement the magazine budget, which usually plans for an 80 to 88-page issue. “We could have easily gone longer with additional traditions,” Chris notes, “but we kept it to 75 things to keep the page count down. We also did some cutting of text to conserve space.”

“It was really helpful to have an archivist on staff to provide us with research materials. It was also great to be able to rely on the community to write copy for certain sections.”

— Emily Magnus

Tips for Success

The team said that if they had more time, they might have spent more of it on the design of certain elements, but overall, they were very happy with the final product.

“It was really helpful to have an archivist on staff to provide us with research materials,” Chris says. “It was also great to be able to rely on the community to write copy for certain sections.”

Cardigan has partnered with the same freelance graphic designer for several projects, including the magazine, over the past several years. The clean lines and use of white space have become the School’s signature look. Chris remarks that the designer’s partnership in creation and execution are invaluable, providing the school with a look that is consistent and on-brand.

Congratulations, Cardigan Mountain School! You are brilliant.

TEAM
Emily Magnus, Cardigan Mountain School, Assistant Director of Communications & Publications
Judith Solberg, Cardigan Mountain School, Director of Archives and Special Projects
Chris Adams, Cardigan Mountain School, Director of Communications & Marketing

See All the 2021 Winners

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Liza Fisher Norman

Master Electrician, InspirED School Marketers

Master Electrician isn’t just a fun title for me. It’s how I feel about sparking school marketers to do their best work, connecting them to one another, and helping to make their jobs easier. After working with close to 100 schools in the firm I founded — Turnaround Marketing Communications — I realized that school marketers needed a place where they can find brilliant ideas and brain food to make their job easier and feel supported. InspirED School Marketers was born in 2013 to fill that void and with the help of my fabulous Best Boy, Rob, we are on a quest to make InspirED a resource you can't live without.

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