College ads, a staple of sports TV, shift tone in response to Trump

2 days ago7 min read3 comments

College football fans are intimately familiar with the cinematic commercials that punctuate every timeout and quarter break: those sweeping aerial shots of vibrant campuses, the sea of face-painted undergraduates roaring in unison, and researchers in lab coats peering intently into microscopes, all set to a soaring, inspirational soundtrack. For decades, this has been the playbook—American universities selling the dream of collegiate life during the most-watched sporting events.But this fall, the play call has audibled at the line of scrimmage. With the Trump administration launching a broad offensive against higher education, slashing federal research funding, freezing grants, and threatening tax-exempt status, and with public confidence in academia lingering near historic lows, universities are shifting their advertising strategy from generic rah-rah recruitment to a detailed, almost clinical dissection of their direct impact on American life.It’s a strategic pivot from selling an experience to justifying an institution's very existence. We’re no longer just watching ads for a university; we’re seeing a defensive game plan executed in 30-second spots.Rutgers isn't just a school in New Jersey; its research treats asthma. The University of Colorado isn't just nestled in the Rockies; it's expanding access to clean water.The University of Minnesota’s agricultural programs are boosting the global food supply, while the University of Illinois trains the teachers and first responders who form the backbone of their communities. Louisiana State University has even rolled out spots highlighting its development of advanced storm detection tools, explicitly stating its mission is “to protect you, your loved ones and your way of life.” Even the powerhouse Big Ten Conference has, at times, sidelined its iconic, nostalgia-driven cartoon map ad in favor of a campaign soberly titled “We Are Here,” which functions as a direct, itemized accounting of how its member institutions are tackling the nation's most pressing problems. This isn't a completely new formation; academic research has always had a cameo in these campaigns, often as a subtle nod to the parents writing the hefty tuition checks.However, this season’s advertising drive is fundamentally different in its targeting and messaging, aiming for a broader audience far beyond prospective students. As Arizona State University President Michael Crow, a board member of the Research for a Stronger America coalition, pointed out in an interview, “The gap between the general population and the elite scientist is wider than it’s ever been.That’s our fault. That’s not the general population’s fault.We need to find better ways to translate, better ways to communicate, better ways to get people to understand [how our work helps them]. ” This sentiment is the driving force behind the new playbook.The strategy is as smart as a well-designed West Coast offense, according to Karen Weaver, a University of Pennsylvania professor who studies the business of college sports. She notes that college football uniquely unites people, and these commercials reach viewers when they are in a positive, receptive headspace, gathered with friends and family.“Beats yet another gambling commercial, right?” she quips, highlighting the unique opportunity to embed a serious message within a celebratory environment. The University of Notre Dame, with its unique television deal with NBC that grants it a coveted two-minute block just after halftime, has been a pioneer in this arena since 2007 with its “What Would You Fight For?” campaign.Beth Grisoli, Notre Dame's assistant vice president of creative and brand management, explained the goal was to help good news about research “escape the lab. ” She argues that despite the fragmentation of media, football remains the unparalleled platform for telling a story to a massive, general audience.The effectiveness is undeniable; Grisoli shared an anecdote worthy of a Hollywood script where a Notre Dame engineer’s allergy research, featured in one of these ads, caught the attention of a pharmaceutical executive watching the game with his 12-year-old daughter, who suffered from a severe peanut allergy. The executive eventually invested in the technology, and his daughter later enrolled at Notre Dame.“We have calls and emails from people after - I’m not kidding - every single game,” Grisoli said, adopting the voice of inspired viewers: “‘I had no idea you were doing this. I know so-and-so suffers from such and such; how can I help? You’ve given me so much hope.’” This intensified public relations push comes as universities find themselves in a political scrimmage unlike any before. The Trump administration's unprecedented attacks have, ironically, fostered increased cooperation among traditionally fierce rivals.Earlier this year, over 60 public and private institutions formed Research for a Stronger America (RSA), a coalition advocating for the benefits of university research and running its own ads, effectively choosing a new, common rival. As Colorado Chancellor Justin Schwartz stated, “Universities are all in on having groundbreaking research.Because as a nation, we need to win the competition against other nations. ” This framing shifts the debate from a domestic political squabble to an international contest for supremacy, a classic sports analogy that resonates deeply.Most university leaders interviewed were hesitant to directly name Trump or characterize their new ads as overtly political. One anonymous school official even drew a vivid comparison to the actors in “Jurassic Park” who had to “keep absolutely still” to avoid being seen and attacked by a T.rex. Yet, President Crow revealed he has engaged with Trump’s aides, discussing offers of preferential funding in exchange for ideological compliance—a deal he and other RSA members ultimately rejected.Crow conceded, however, that the administration has a point about the flaws of higher education, stating, “What I’ve been saying to the administration is: Yes, we need some improvement in how the universities are working to better serve the country. Yes, we cost too much.Yes, we have all of these other kinds of issues. ” But he fiercely defends the core product, arguing that academic research is the “invisible hand” behind countless American innovations, from President Eisenhower’s 1950s defense buildup to the iPhone, which he famously noted was not invented solely by Steve Jobs but by the collective work of roughly 5,000 research groups.The challenge, as in any sport, is execution. Many schools struggle to translate complex research into a compelling 30-second narrative for a general audience.Some faculty resist framing the merits of higher learning in utilitarian terms, while others simply lack the skill to explain their life's work concisely. “Higher ed is later to the game in appreciating the value of marketing,” admitted Chris Nelson, chief university relations officer at the University of Utah.Recognizing this, Utah made a power move by creating a new role for Andrea Thomas, a corporate marketing veteran from Walmart, Hershey, and Frito-Lay. Thomas understood that selling a university education was a far tougher prospect than selling potato chips.She refined the marketing playbook, and as Utah prepared to move from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 conference, she consulted colleagues on how to localize tactics to argue why a Utah education was worth the investment. When Utah joined the RSA, Thomas tapped her network to master the art of the in-game research story.“We’ve always talked about research,” she said. “But talking about research in 30 seconds in front of a broad audience is not something that we did very well or at all.” The stakes are monumental. For schools like Utah, media reach explodes during successful football seasons.Last month, during its heated rivalry game against BYU, Utah debuted its new ad focusing on its groundbreaking work in metallurgy and high-tech prostheses. The final score didn't go Utah's way that day, but in the crucial metrics of audience engagement and brand defense, they secured a decisive victory: more than 2 million people saw the ad, a number that dwarfs any academic lecture hall and represents a first down in the critical drive to win back public trust.

#university research

#college football

#advertising

#Trump administration

#federal funding

#featured

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