CB Exclusive: academyEX launches ‘The Play Lab’ with a campaign that turns learning on its head and dares executives to play
CB Exclusive: What do you get when you mix robotics, neural links, generative AI and a glowing neon sign that says Intellectual For-Play? For academyEX – this isn’t just a launch campaign; it’s a provocation.
The bold new creative was designed to support the launch of The Play Lab, its newest innovation in adult learning.
The tagline – Intellectual For-Play.
The tone – Subversive. Sharp. Playful.
The point – In the PlayLab, learning doesn’t sit still. It moves, it builds, it plays. And it sticks
Why a campaign about adult learning looks like… that!
Says Perrin Rowland, Chief Experience Officer at academyEX: “It started as a conversation about what comes after our previous campaign – EXfactor – which highlighted the deeply personal and often emotional journey of returning to learning, especially for those balancing careers, whānau and uncertainty about whether they still ‘fit’ in tertiary education.
“We were closing the loop on that campaign and preparing to launch The Play Lab and we needed something that captured the energy and intent of what was next.”
Ideas were tested and AI-generated visuals were explored. At one point, the concept veered worryingly close to a peaches-and-cream aesthetic that resembled a 90s lingerie ad.
Says Perrin: “Yes, ‘Sex sells’, but we didn’t want to mislead learners on the syllabus. The team pulled back, reoriented and landed on something smarter, funnier and still provocative: Intellectual For-Play.”
The visual identity is anchored by a vibrant orange neon thread – a literal and symbolic line that runs through every part of the campaign and academyEX brand. The message is clear: academyEX believes learning for grown-ups should still make room for wonder.
That’s what the PlayLab is for: structured enough to challenge you, open enough to let curiosity lead.
“This campaign is a reminder that curiosity and rigour go hand in hand,” says Perrin. “Inside The Play Lab, people are working with serious tech — AI tools, agentic systems, neural kits, future design, automation — but they’re doing it through hands-on experimentation. That’s not play for play’s sake. It’s how we future-proof learning.”
Not a classroom – a catalyst
At the heart of the campaign is The Play Lab, a new kind of learning space based in Auckland at academyEX and designed specifically for professionals who want to do more than just keep up – they want to build the capability and confidence to lead change in a world that’s shifting under their feet.
But let’s be very clear: there are no buzzwords here. Instead, there’s a curated playground of possibility where participants prototype with robotics, sensors, 3D printers and AI tools. They tinker, build and explore real solutions in a way that’s active, experiential and unapologetically hands-on and fun.
“Most adult learning spaces still look like classrooms. At The Play Lab, we’re not here to deliver more slides and scripts. We’re here to ignite spark,” says Perrin. “Here, adults can think differently, build boldly, and learn by doing, with the support they need to try new things. That’s what creates lasting change.”
The lab was built around a core belief: that play is a catalyst and not a distraction. It gives professionals a space to fail safely, to experiment with unfamiliar tools and to develop the adaptive intelligence needed to thrive through tech disruption, climate pressure and economic restructuring.
We don’t need more information – we need more imagination
“Professionals aren’t starved of content — they’re starved of space,” says Perrin. “Space to think, reflect, and imagine what else is possible. That’s what The Play Lab offers: a pause from the relentless noise of delivery, and a place to reconnect with the kind of thinking that drives real reinvention.”
“It builds on the pioneering spirit of The Mind Lab — the force that helped Kiwi kids become digital natives — but shifts the focus. Now it’s adults who need the space to catch up, catch on, and, especially, catch fire again.”
The outcome is confidence, creativity and capability – the kind of results you don’t always get from a PDF workbook or a keynote speaker and that’s where the campaign strikes its deepest chord.
A design language that speaks louder than words can
The campaign itself is design-led. A series of visuals lay out the tools available inside The Play Lab in a beautifully structured flat-lay style – not just showing what’s on offer but also to signal how each part connects to something larger. It’s a visual metaphor for the learning experience itself: modular, functional and more than the sum of its parts.
“The kit matters..but it’s what you do with it that counts. Every image, colour choice and line of copy has been crafted to provoke curiosity and create connection and as with all things academyEX – it doesn’t follow the usual playbook. It writes its own.
“So if you see a glowing orange sign on your feed, in the street or (even) at the edge of your own uncertainty, – it might just be calling you back to something you haven’t felt in a while:
“Curiosity is not a luxury — it’s a leadership muscle.
“The Play Lab gives professionals permission to try and play. That’s how we equip leaders to meet the future and not react to it.”
Client: academyEX
Frances Valintine – CEO and Founder
Media: Lumo Digital, Claudia Limaco
Photographer – Monique Doy
PR Agency – Launch PR
Built in house with AI and Humans, specifically Whisk and Chat-GPT4.0
Chief Experience Officer: Perrin Rowland
Brand Storyteller– Monique Doy
Creative Director – Emily Wragg
Product Lead – Andrey Sukhomlinov
Community and Event Lead: Eithne Sweeney
Chief Delivery Officer – Ana Ivanovic-Tongue
Growth Lead – Brielle Raven
Performance Lead – Charles Jordan
Academic Lead – Dr. Dave Parsons
Planner – Benjamin Sang
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