Pentagram has created ‘The Definitive University Checklist’, a 60-second brand film that showcases the University of Sussex to prospective students.

Eschewing the university film formulas of academic league tables, student satisfaction surveys and graduate employability rankings, the 60-second film introduces viewers to an alternative checklist by which all universities should be assessed.

And while a checklist that scores a university’s desirability on its robot population and its Attenborough associations may appear to be a little biased - or rather, totally biased - it gives the viewer a valuable insight into Sussex’s distinctive spirit.

The Pentagram team collaborated closely with the University on the project, including Katy Hiles, Sussex’s Head of Marketing. “From its spectacular modernist architecture and activist routes to its multicultural campus and unparalleled desire to create change, the University of Sussex has a unique spirit, and we wanted to create a playful film that expressed that spirit,” said Hiles. “When Pentagram suggested the idea of an almost unbiased checklist, we immediately liked it.”

Created by Naresh Ramchandani and his team, the film weaves footage sourced from the University’s archives with new footage directed by Steven Qua. The resulting film is a little quirky, a little earnest and a whole lot of Sussex.

Pentagram previously designed the identity of the University of Sussex.