Campus Drop: Merch & Marketing

Your college has finally agreed to do something cool:
Launch a limited-edition merch line. Think hoodies, laptop stickers, tote bags, and mugs for current students and alumni.

There’s a small store near the canteen.
There’s an online store with a cringey .in domain.
There’s one chance to make this actually take off.

And you're in charge of the marketing.
Your goal: a viral campaign that makes everyone say “bro, I need that hoodie.”

The competition is split into 2 rounds + 1 bonus round.

Each round brings you closer to hatching your brain’s hidden creativity. 

Round 1: The Hook

• The Goal here is..
• To test your creative instincts and campaign thinking.
• Can you take a simple college merch launch… and turn it into something people actually want to talk about?

What you need to do

The Campaign Idea

Describe your campaign in a way that would get people talking

• Campaign Name or Hook
• What’s the story behind it? (e.g. nostalgia, inside joke, protest, culture flex)
• What’s the vibe of this campaign? (funny? dramatic? chaotic?)

Know Your Audience

• Who are you speaking to: current students, pass-outs, freshers, alumni who never really left the WhatsApp group?
• Why would they care about this merch?

The “Why It Works” Pitch 

• What makes this campaign emotionally or culturally relatable?
• Why do you think it’ll get people posting, wearing, or clicking?
• A 3–4 slide carousel mockup explaining your campaign idea

OR

A 30–60 second video (can be shot on phone, screen recording, meme edit, whatever shows your idea best)

• Anything else that gets your creativity across

Round 2: Sell without Selling

Take your creative concept from Round 1 and show us how you'd actually launch it — across the right platforms, with the right kind of content.

This round tests your executive thinking:
Where will you launch?
How will it spread?
What kind of posts would make people care enough to click, share, or buy?

What you need to do

Channel Strategy

• Where would you launch this campaign? (Instagram? WhatsApp? Posters? College fests? Email?)
• Why did you choose these platforms?
• Any offline collabs or events you'd tie in?

Tip: Think platform-first. Don’t write a LinkedIn caption for Instagram.

The Plan

• How would the campaign roll out over 7–10 days?
• What’s your strategy to build hype?

Make it Happen

You must submit 3 unique content pieces for your campaign.

Choose any format(s):

• Carousel post 
• Reel 
• Meme 
• Anything else that makes your campaign go viral

Bonus: Show Us Your AI Workflow 

• Did you use AI for ideation?
  
• Adobe Express or Firefly for visuals and concept mockups?
• Share a quick note or screenshot showing how AI tools helped your process.
  
• We’re rewarding tool-smart creators, not just good design.

Round 3: Pitch Day

• Come showcase your pitch, and let the audience decide with LIVE voting!
• Final Pitch Date: [enter date]

Prizes & Perks

The viral-machine winning team receives vouchers worth ₹3,000/-

The top 3  teams receive:

• Fast-track access to the Adobe x General Assembly Creative Skills Bootcamp
• Free Adobe Creative Cloud access (worth ₹50,760)
• Social media spotlight + LinkedIn shoutout
• Personalized feedback on campaign work