Hi Stephanie,
Clifton is the kind of school that doesn’t need to pretend. You have history. Gravitas. And a distinctly modern outlook that makes you feel relevant in 2025, not just revered. You’re not just set in historic grounds—you make the future happen inside them.
But here’s the test…
Imagine a parent scrolling at speed — phone in one hand, school tabs open in the other, head full of deadlines, diaries, and dinner plans. This is an ad that parents like — but will they remember it tomorrow? Would they get a sense of what only you offer? Or would it blur into the same reassuring-but-generic noise we’ve seen from dozens of schools? Because when messaging blends into universally positive language, it becomes emotionally agreeable… but not commercially distinctive.
That’s not a dig, it’s a pattern. We’ve analysed over 100 school ads running right now in the UK, and most sound eerily similar. Same phrases. Same format. Same promises.
So we built a simple test, just a mirror. A moment of reflection. If you passed your ad in the wild, would you know it was Clifton? Would a parent?
Clifton College in the Wild
These are your current Meta ads. Let’s look at them through a parent’s eyes.
What’s Working
✅Balancing modernity with heritage: “Modern education set amongst historic grounds” is a compelling position, and it’s true to who Clifton is.
✅The theme of future-readiness is strong: There’s a clear sense of purpose in the line “fully prepared for their future in a rapidly changing modern world.” That’s what every parent wants.
✅Visual of outdoor learning: A child engaged in nature is emotive and fits well with the idea of grounded, real-world learning. If the video supports this theme, it’s a good direction.
What’s Getting Lost:
❌Brochure tone: Phrases like “open-minded young people” and “real understanding of the world” are noble but generic. A parent could see this in 30 other ads this week.
🗣️Missed opportunity to show, not just tell*: You’re talking about future-ready students and outdoor education, but the copy doesn’t reflect how you do that differently from anyone else.
Without being too cringy - this causes something called paradox of choice. When every option looks the same, people don’t feel empowered. They feel overwhelmed. So they scroll past, not because they didn’t like what they saw, but because nothing stood out. If you're not subverting the pattern, you’re at risk of getting skipped over.