Baylor Launches “New Approach” Television Commercial that Extends to Full-length Music Video with Apollo LTD’s “Run”
:30 commercial filmed on campus this summer with Baylor students makes its national TV debut on ESPN during Saturday’s Baylor-BYU game
Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-709-5959
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WACO, Texas (Sept. 8, 2022) – Baylor University officially launched its new institutional television commercial for 2022-23 that definitely will stand out in the “sea of sameness” among university commercials during athletics events this year.
The :30 commercial – shot entirely this summer on the Baylor campus – features scenes of Baylor students enhanced by the soundtrack of Nashville-based Christian duo, Apollo LTD, whose original song “Run” was written specifically for Baylor. The broadcast commercial also extends to a full, three-minute music video by Apollo LTD that incorporates the authentic experiences of real students while taking viewers on a tour of the beautiful and active Baylor campus.
Baylor is believed to be the first university to produce a music video for a new music release and have it accompany a national commercial.
“Music has always played a role in our commercials, but we took the next step with an entire music video concept,” said Jason Cook, vice president for marketing and communications and chief marketing officer at Baylor. “Generation Z is very attuned to the intersection of brands, music and entertainment, so this really is a new approach to our target population of prospective students. There’s no voiceover, no beakers and backpacks. We always want Baylor to stand out in the ‘sea of sameness.’”
The commercial will make its national TV debut during ESPN’s broadcast of the Baylor vs. BYU football game on Saturday, Sept. 10, which kicks off at 9:15 p.m. CT. During college football broadcasts, universities are competing with the top corporate brands in the country, all vying for attention during commercial breaks. Baylor’s latest commercial continues the trend of differentiating itself in a crowded college football marketplace with its institutional commercial as part of University’s “Where Lights Shine Bright” brand campaign launched in spring 2018.
With lyrics that include “light will be our guide…We were born to run,” Apollo LTD’s “Run” unites two facets of the Baylor student experience: the University’s vibrant, active campus – supported by a caring Christian community – that prepares Baylor students to shine as they find their calling, and authentic experiences, such as the traditional running of the Baylor Line before football games, as freshmen run the length of the field and create a spirit tunnel for players entering McLane Stadium.
“Our approach to Baylor’s commercial may be different, but the goal remains the same: to create a general awareness of Baylor University as a Christian research university and attract students with an interest in Baylor,” Cook said. “‘Run’ is the perfect soundtrack to life at Baylor – a place where you can find your path and follow your calling. A place Where Lights Shine Bright.”
Known for their exuberant, 80s and 90s-infuenced sound, Apollo LTD’s hit song “Sunday Morning Feeling” provided the soundtrack for Baylor’s 2021 commercial. Making waves with “Nothing is Ordinary, Everything is Beautiful” (2021) and the Top 40 hits “Gold” and “On The Way Up” from its Dove Award-nominated “Out of Body” (2019) LPs, Apollo LTD songs have been heard on “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Station 19” and shows featured on ESPN, FOX Sports, Comedy Central, NBC and ABC while gathering well over 50 million streams worldwide and sparking four top 25 Christian radio singles. College roommates and writing partners for years before stepping in front of the microphone in 2015, Jordon Phillips and Adam Stark of Apollo LTD jumped at the opportunity to work again with Baylor, including penning “Run.”
“We had a blast working with the Baylor crew,” Phillips and Stark said. “The students were so much fun and had great attitudes the whole time. Even though I’m pretty sure most of them had never been in a music video before, they were total pros! Naturals! The Baylor team and staff were amazing. They were so helpful and their hospitality was top notch. We could tell that everyone involved had a strong commitment to the Baylor community and way of life. It was awesome to work with everyone involved.”
The commercial was directed by Dallas-based Norry Niven, whose work has reached millions for global brands such as Gatorade, Ford, Lincoln, McDonald’s, HBO, Showtime, Disney and Visa. He is recognized nationally for his creativity and dynamic visual effects, winning six Emmys as well as multiple Addys, AICP and CLIO awards.
Produced in partnership with Johnson & Sekin, the University’s Dallas-based advertising agency of record since fall 2017, the commercial was shot on Baylor’s campus featuring 28 current students.
Johnson & Sekin is one of Dallas' most awarded and talked-about advertising agencies focused on helping brands articulate and amplify their purpose. Their 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.
See the full-length music video at www.baylor.edu/run.
Song Lyrics for Apollo LTD’s “Run”
VerseThe future's bright
The time is now
Destiny is callin’
Can you hear the sound?
Brave enough
to chase the sun
Show ‘em what we’re made of
We were born to run Chorus
There’s a spark in your heart
And a fire that’s in your eyes
Full of hope cause ya know everything's gonna be alright
Livin’ our best life, takin’ it all in stride
And the light will be our guide
We were born to run
We were born to run
Run run run Verse
Staring down
The road ahead
Step into the wild
hold the world inside your hand
Gonna take a chance
While we’re still young
Nothings gonna slow us down
Cause we were born to run Bridge
Written in sky these dreams gonna come to life
Yeah the lights are Shining bright
And There’s a fire in your eyes
Cause we were born to run
Chorus
There’s a spark in your heart
And a fire that’s in your eyes
Full of hope cause ya know everything's gonna be alright
Livin’ our best life, takin’ it all in stride
And the light will be our guide
We were born to run
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 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.