The Ringling Ghost

Active Octopus is a one-person creative studio led by Matt Gissing, a faculty member at Ringling College and a specialist in branded storytelling for mission-driven organizations. The studio operates as a compact, full-service creative partner, providing strategy, writing, directing, production leadership, and campaign development under a single lead.

For this project, Active Octopus worked with the Ringling College Film Department to solve a long-standing visibility problem for a nationally ranked but comparatively unknown BFA-only film program. With no marketing staff and no budget, the department relied on Gissing and its BFA sophomores and juniors to build a professional-quality campaign from scratch.

The hybrid “micro-agency” structure (one creative director guiding student crews) allowed the department to generate high-level work internally while giving students meaningful real-world experience.

This submission represents more than a campaign: it marks the launch of a long-term digital storytelling platform designed to raise awareness, build brand equity, and grow an audience for years to come.