An ad campaign featuring CU-Boulder's academic excellence debuts this month in five cities across the United States in an attempt to acquaint top-tier out-of-state students with some of CU's strong and competitive programs.
The Minds to Match Our Mountains campaign, initiated by Institutional Relations Director Bobbi Barrow and created by CU advertising Professors Larry Weisberg and Brett Robbs, will feature ads in business publications and on National Public Radio.
The campaign is being tested in Minneapolis, Dallas, Boston, Tulsa and San Diego.
"We have one of the top 25 public research universities in the nation, based on our academic excellence," said Richard L. Byyny, chancellor. "We wanted to get that word out through a campaign in markets where students have demonstrated interest in our programs, and where we have alumni who can personally testify to the quality education they received."
Byyny said the goal is to attract serious students who are looking for challenging academic programs.
"The campaign is innovative and fun, and we hope it will improve understanding of the interdisciplinary and diverse nature of CU's increasingly excellent academic offerings," said Barrow. "Our fabulous Colorado setting is so famous that people often do not realize what excellent academic programs we have to offer and what a wonderful total learning environment we have here."
Programs highlighted in the campaign include:
* Technology and innovation with a focus on CU's Alliance for Technology, Learning and Society (ATLAS).
* CU-Boulder's new five-year combined bachelor's and master's degree programs.
* A nationally ranked program in entrepreneurship and other business disciplines.
* Interdisciplinary environmental programs. CU offers environmental programs in engineering, journalism, atmospheric and oceanic sciences, chemistry and biochemistry, environmental, population, and organismic biology, environmental studies, geography and geological sciences.
"CU has long been a premier institution in environmental studies," Barrow said. "We're glad to have the opportunity to share this success with prospective students. "
The campaign will refer prospective students to a specially created website: . Details on each of the campaign's programs are highlighted on that site, which was created by the Office of Web Communications at CU-Boulder. The site links to the CU-Boulder Home Page and all other academic offerings.
Professor Robbs said the advertising team set out to create witty ads that depict academic excellence and a "human, approachable institution." Robbs said most college ad campaigns are bland and use generic headlines and copy. The Minds to Match Our Mountains campaign, however, creatively points out distinctive benefits of the CU programs featured.
"The campaign is smart and simple with an element of surprise that will evoke a smile," Robbs said.
"We are fortunate to have advertising faculty who bring a great deal of professional agency experience and enthusiasm to this project," Barrow said. Professors Weisberg and Robbs donated their time to the campaign. Norm Shearer, a 1996 CU graduate, provided the art direction and design.
Both Weisberg and Robbs said working with student-turned-colleague Shearer was rewarding and inspirational.