giovanna dabner
CREATIVE + ART DIRECTION
Brand:
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Campaign
How We Turned Student Frustration into a Movement
Project Overview
Unpaid work-integrated learning (WIL) forces students to choose between experience and financial survival.
Many students at Humber Polytechnic and the University of Guelph-Humber are required to work unpaid internships, despite:
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65% reporting financial instability
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45% struggling to afford basic needs
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Only 24% of Humber and 20% of UofGH WIL students receiving compensation
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The Challenge:
IGNITE needed a campaign that would:
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Make the financial burden of unpaid WIL undeniable
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Mobilize students to demand policy change
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Pressure institutions to take action
Team:
Giovanna Dabner, Creative Director, Lead Art Director & Editor
Mariane Pacaanas, Senior Design Lead
Adam Mohammed, Web Developer
Oliarasan Durairaj, Lead Graphic & Web Designer
Anren Tieu, Graphic Designer
Chevella Karthik Reddy, DOP/Videographer
Elle Galindo, Videographer
Housseni Sylla, Videographer
Gianmarc Cole, Editor
Equipment used:
Canon R6 Mark II
Aputure LS 300x Bi-Color LED Light
24-70 MM Canon RF Lens
35MM f/1.4 Canon ​EF Lens
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Software used:
total Budget:
$10,000​
Campaign Video + Paid Social Ads
Campaign
Landing Page
The Time is Money landing page blends bold visuals with intuitive navigation, ensuring a seamless user experience. I liaised between designer Oliarasan Durairaj and web developer Adam Mohammed to maintain brand consistency while optimizing functionality. The page features a vibrant yellow-green palette, bold typography, and interactive elements, driving student engagement and advocacy.
Creative Process
Concept Development
Originally launched as “Worth the Wage”, we refined the campaign to “Time is Money” to focus on securing compensation for mandatory internships, making the message more actionable and direct.
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Currency-inspired storytelling to emphasize financial loss
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Data-driven messaging using real statistics from Humber & UofGH
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Student-centered narratives to make advocacy personal and relatable
First Iteration
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The concept began to feel outdated, risking audience disconnect. I collaborated with our senior and lead designer to refresh the look, ensuring it resonated with Gen Z and Millennials.
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Branding + Visual Identity
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#182A18
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Before + After
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Outcome + Take aways
As the campaign has just launched, I am eager to see how it resonates with students and the impact it will have on raising awareness about unpaid internships.
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Throughout this project, I learned the importance of collaboration and time management to ensure that each phase—from research to execution—was tackled efficiently. This experience reinforced that a strong campaign isn’t built on the first idea; rather, the brainstorming, ideation, and research phases are just as critical as the final execution.
Taking the time to explore multiple directions ultimately led to a more strategic, well-rounded, and impactful campaign.
