EcoCAR EV Challenge

Competition Program Recruitment and Launch: Branding, Website, Email

A World Without Engineers

Try to imagine a modern world and all of its technological and environmental intricacies without a constant influx of new engineering leadership.

Opportunity

Under the umbrella of the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC), The EcoCAR EV Challenge is on the cutting edge of engineering education, providing an unparalleled, hands-on educational experience that transforms the traditional classroom environment into a hub of automotive innovation with a DEI emphasis.

For over 30 years, AVTC’s have been challenging university student teams across the country through a real world, hands-on experience that is unlike any other. Each specialized multi-year competition has become shadowed by the overarching program, limiting it to universities already in the know. That means educational institutions across North America were missing the opportunity to create an engineering talent pipeline to shape energy-efficient and mobility solutions for decades.

Advocacy

CRIMSON turned the old program upside down. Instead of launching the program in the same old way, CRIMSON designed the new competition as its own brand with a clearly defined identity and purpose. We broke down barriers to create widespread awareness and inspired more excitement for the EcoCAR competition. Harnessing the power of a digital experience through websites, email, and social/digital media, CRIMSON helped to showcase the innovation, education, and technology that the EcoCAR program is all about.

Transformation

Despite the challenge of working around Covid-19, we pushed beyond expectations. With CRIMSON’s help, the EcoCAR EV Challenge competition saw a 60% increase in University applications from previous years, 50% of which had never submitted before. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and minority-serving institutions made up 30% of the submissions alone. With that increase, EcoCAR made two brand new partnerships with HBCU participants, which are opening new doors of opportunity to advance engineering and technology students further.