The Manchester College students work on high-profile campaign

Thanks to a unique partnership with the Intellectual Property Office, Content Creation, Digital Film and Broadcast students at The Manchester College, along with B.A. (Hons) Creative Media and Visual Communication students from UCEN Manchester, have been given the chance to work on a campaign that could potentially have a huge impact on the counterfeit goods market in Manchester.

Representatives from the Intellectual Property Office visited The Manchester College’s brand-new City Campus Manchester, a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Manchester city centre, to watch a presentation from the Level 3 students.

The campaign aims to highlight the consumer risks associated with buying counterfeit goods, an illegal trade which, alongside piracy, costs the UK economy billions of pounds every year.  The project will also highlight the impact that the trade has on society and the people that suffer as a result, whilst celebrating Manchester’s array of fashion, high street and independent stores.

The second-year students shared a selection of social media concepts to promote the campaign and engage the project’s target audience via the relevant platforms.

Tutor Yeng Roberts explained: “The live brief has provided the students with an amazing opportunity to engage with an external client.

“They’ve really thrown themselves into this project and enjoyed the creative freedom to produce short films, posters and assets for use on social media.

The students have also been able to develop their interpersonal and presentation skills, which allowed them to present confidently and succinctly to the Intellectual Property Office.  I’m really proud of them all for pitching their ideas in person and stepping outside of their comfort zones.

Following the presentation the panel got the chance to share their feedback and they were delighted with what they’d seen and commented on the high standard of the concepts.

Catherine Davies, Senior Campaigns Manager for the Intellectual Property Office said: “The Intellectual Property Office is delighted to partner with The Manchester College and its talented students to help develop messaging and raise consumer awareness about the harms of counterfeit goods.  This presents the students with a golden opportunity to work with industry on a live brief, as part of the collaborative work between the College and other partners to help tackle this issue in the Manchester area and support the city’s innovative and creative industries.

“An understanding of intellectual property (IP) - the collective term for patents, trade marks, copyright and designs - is a key skill for almost all creative jobs today.  As these learners enter the job market, they need to understand how to protect and make the most of the IP in their own creations, and how to use the IP of others legitimately.  With a curriculum heavily focused on creative industries that rely on IP – such as Computing, Digital, Creative, Performing Arts, Hospitality and Visual Arts – The Manchester College is a great partner for the Intellectual Property Office to help promote awareness, understanding and respect for IP rights.  It is a pleasure to collaborate with the College and its students on this crucial work, which has already generated some incredible insights and ideas, and bodes well for the brightest of futures.”