New Baylor Television Commercial to Debut Saturday During Football Opener
Media Contact: Eric M. Eckert, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-1964
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WACO, Texas (Aug. 30, 2019) – Baylor University will debut its new institutional television commercial Saturday during the nationally televised football game between Baylor and Stephen F. Austin on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
The 30-second commercial – an extension of the University’s “Where Lights Shine Bright” campaign – features current students and faculty speaking to Baylor’s strengths as a university where people come to connect, lead and serve. While the students and faculty speak, images of campus, student life and research initiatives are projected onto them.
The light created by the projected images serves as a visual metaphor representing how each member of the Baylor Family shines and how, together, they make the world a brighter place. The final reveal of the new BU logo, through CGI, acts as an iconic representation of the campus-wide unity that is central to life at Baylor.
“At Baylor, we are always looking for unique ways to tell the stories of our students, our faculty and our community,” said Jason D. Cook, Baylor’s vice president for marketing and communications and chief marketing officer. “As we move to be a Tier 1/Research 1 institution, our hope is that this commercial, combined with the many other stories we’re telling, engages prospective students to consider how they might find their place at Baylor.”
The commercial was directed by Dallas-based Norry Niven, who is recognized nationally for his work on a range of projects, including commercials and feature films. Norry has earned six Emmy Awards for promotional work on shows like “Homeland,” “The Tudors,” “Dexter” and the Super Bowl commercial for “24: Live Another Day.”
The Baylor commercial was produced in concert with Johnson & Sekin, the University’s Dallas-based advertising agency of record, and was shot on set in the Automobile Building at Fair Park in Dallas.
Named to Ad Age’s “Best Places to Work” in 2018 and 2019, Johnson & Sekin has been the American Advertising Federation Dallas' most awarded agency over the last five years. The agency's work has been recognized by the American Advertising Federation, American Marketing Association, Lüerzer's Archive, Hermes Creative, Texas Monthly and the National Down Syndrome Society.
“Baylor has so many great stories and successes to share. Our task was to present visually, artistically and effectively the essence of those stories and those successes in only 30 seconds,” Cook said. “We always want to stand out in a sea of sameness – thy typical university commercial – and I think we’ve done that once again.”
Additional 15-second and 6-second digital commercials for use on other platforms will be produced from this spot, Cook said, featuring the 14 current students and two faculty members who participated in the full commercial shoot.
Script for 2019-20 Baylor University Institutional Commercial:
At Baylor, our lights shine
While we push our limits
And guide the way.
At Baylor, our lights shine
As we’re making connections
And making an impression
As leaders and as part of something bigger.
Baylor’s light shines around the world, but it starts in each of us.
Baylor, Where Lights Shine Bright.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.