A TV spot promoting Red River College as a post-secondary option that stands apart from its peers has been named the best commercial of 2016 by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

Produced and released in spring of 2016, RRC’s “The Difference Is Here” spot received a recent Circle of Excellence Gold Award from CASE, beating out submissions from 41 participating higher education institutions around the world.

A panel of judges described the spot — which first appeared as a 30-second trailer in Manitoba movie theatres — as “entertaining, thought-provoking and even disruptive.”

“This commercial spot stands out from the pack … for two really important reasons: RRC knows who they are talking to, and knows their mission,” the judges said.

“Everything in this spot — from the hypnotic drumming of the soundtrack to the style of the images — is selected for a purpose, and the purpose always connects with the target audience and the important take-away message.”

The recognition for the commercial comes weeks after RRC’s 2017 billboard campaign was endorsed by CASE’s Opportunity and Inclusion Committee, for achievement in Best Practices in Communication and Marketing, and for efforts to foster and promote diversity.