Sharing 160 years of a prestigious prep school through alumni magazine
Founded in 1851 as "The Family Boarding School," The Hill School prepares young men and women from across the country and around the world for college, careers, and life. Within the school environment and with a rigorous liberal arts curriculum, The Hill challenges its students to work hard; think and reason; be fulfilled; serve the common good; and be prepared to lead as citizens of the world, uniquely guided by our motto: “Whatsoever things are true.” Famous alumni include Former Secretary of State James Baker III, critically acclaimed author Tobias Wolff, and Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone.
Hill Ties, the biannual alumni publication, was a creative collaboration with circle S studio and the Communications team at The Hill School. The magazine consisted of various sections and features communicating to alumni as far back as 1906 to parents of current students. Each volume started with a story budget and target mail date. While both content and timing shifted from issue to issue, the client was always pleased with the final product and delivery.
In this issue of Hill Ties, the Hill School celebrated 160 years of educational excellence, shared the 2010-2011 academic theme of "Justice," announced their N.C. Wyeth Art Series, and produced an editorial on the college admissions process.
The client wanted to convey the history of the school by combining an historic etching of the Main Building and their current student body.
This issue marked one of the first iterations of "Where in the Hill?", a side bar created for both visual and factual interest in the Hill School's campus and history. The mini-feature offers a close-up or other abstracted image and a simple riddle to reader: where on the Hill School Campus is this? The answer was featured elsewhere in the magazine. "Where in the HIll?" also served the purpose of space filler, when last minute changes made page layout more challenging.
When space allowed, and the client wished to share a special event or picture, "Cresting the Hill" appeared. This full-page spread allowed the picture to tell the story. The small side bar relayed additional information. In this issue, "Cresting" covered the multigenerational participation of Hill alumni in one of Philadelphia's largest regattas.
This special feature on the college admissions process was the second of a two-part report. Graphic elements included a crest displaying a mountain path, the shape of a puzzle piece, and a line art drawing of a compass star. All symbols represent the confusion often felt by students and parents in trying to navigate from high school to college.
Each section of Hill Ties had its own distinctive color palettes and iconography. Here, "Keepers of the Hill" used a four-paneled crest with a sun (pulled from the original artwork existing on The Hill School campus), with gradients and text in hues of gold and brown. When possible, seasonal photos from around campus were used in the header.
