Students Share What Baylor University Means to Them in New Commercial

30-second spot centers on students, highlights sights and sounds of Baylor

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Media contact: Eric M. Eckert, (254) 710-1964

WACO, Texas (Sept. 1, 2017) – Early this summer Baylor University students were asked, “What does Baylor mean to you?”

Their answers became the inspiration behind a new 30-second television commercial to be broadcast during the upcoming football season, beginning Saturday during the nationally televised game between Baylor and Liberty University on Fox Sports 2.

The commercial, produced by Austin-based Lucky 21, was shot during three days in July, utilizing the talents of more than 70 Baylor students and showcasing a number of the University’s most iconic locations such as Founders Mall, Armstrong Browning Library, Burleson Quadrangle and the rock-climbing wall at the McLane Student Life Center. The spot features the sounds of the McLane Carillon and the University’s alma mater – “That Good Old Baylor Line” – as well as a rare glimpse of the bells atop Pat Neff Hall.

“Baylor has a distinct place in higher education as a Christian research university, but that’s hard to explain in a 30-second TV spot. We called on our students to communicate their Baylor experience in their own words while also showcasing their favorite campus locations. The result was something that was real and authentic, as well as different from the typical institutional commercial,” said Jason Cook, Baylor’s vice president for marketing and communications and chief marketing officer.

The film was piloted by Texas native and award-winning director Robb Bindler, who has created commercials for brands such as Frigidaire, Mutual of Omaha, Visa, Coke, Nokia, National Football League and Major League Baseball. The production crew (lights, sound, cinematography, art, etc.) was made up of more than a dozen film professionals, mostly from Texas.

“I had never been in a commercial before, but the crew was very helpful in telling us what to expect and keeping us relaxed,” said Kassidy Woytek, a senior journalism, public relations and new media major from Austin. “I thought it was unique that the commercial was unscripted. The words in the commercial were actually things that we said about Baylor and didn’t know would end up on TV. My friends and I were really excited to share our enthusiasm for Baylor with the rest of the world.”

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 16,000 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 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.