New round of commercials for University of Montana

The locker room door’s latch clanks open. Silhouetted players slowly walk out, dribbling basketballs to a steadily accelerating beat. “Griz” chants emanate from the crowd out on the court, in anticipation of the game.

From tip-off to slam dunk, two of the University of Montana’s newest advertisements, featuring the Lady Griz and men’s basketball teams, will debut this weekend.

Story by Ashley Zuelke

Griz fans at this weekend’s football and basketball games will have the first chance to see the newest installments of UM’s award-winning marketing campaign.

The ads, shot with 35-millimeter film, “jump off the screen at you,” Executive Vice President Jim Foley said.

Foley is coordinating UM’s marketing campaign, which began last spring and won four national awards, including an ADDY best of show. The seven initial commercials featured UM’s
“world-class” faculty, Foley said, and what Griz fans call “Griz Nation.”

Two additional ads will premiere in mid-December, Foley said.

One ad will feature Kelly Dixon, an assistant professor of anthropology, known for her archeological work on the Donner Party campsite in California, and more recently, at the Coloma
ghost town east of Missoula.

Fly-over footage of campus, greater Missoula, and the giant Griz logo the Qwivals mowed into their corn maze this year will comprise the second commercial.

Although the campaign isn’t finished, Foley said it has cost UM “several tens of thousands of dollars” so far to produce these ads and put them on the air. He said he “cobbled” money together from various UM accounts and included money budgeted strictly for marketing.

Foley said although a commercial’s impact can’t be easily connected to how many students choose to come to campus, a survey of students in the business school revealed the ads influenced students to attend UM.

Aside from during the football semi-finals last year, the ads have only run on cable in Montana, Foley said.

The Bozeman-based Chisel industries had the winning the bid to film UM’s marketing campaign last spring.

JP Gabriel, head of production for Chisel Industries, said the UM advertising campaign has allowed the company to really get to know their clients.

He said highlighting UM’s “superstar” faculty in the campaign and directly working with them helped the content progress during filming.

“In many ways, they gave us the clues to write the story,” Gabriel said.

Dixon said she was nervous, anxious and hesitant when UM asked her to participate in a commercial. A sense of “duty” quickly followed, she said, laughing.

After seeing the previous commercials, “I couldn’t help but think, ‘Oh my gosh, what are they going to have us do?’” she said.

Two and a half day’s worth of filming Dixon teaching, with her students in their lab and at their dig in Coloma will be compressed in to a 30-second commercial.

After filming began, Dixon said she realized the people filming were artists who wanted to perfectly depict the department’s work.

She said the group truly, “attempted to see the art in what we do here at UM.”

Sonja Rogers, a junior Lady Griz guard, said she enjoyed the new experience, but learned that filming involves a lot of repetition.

Although the Lady Griz already have a good following, she said, the commercial could inspire even more people to become fans.

“It could get us more support for sure if people see that,” Rogers said.

Whether the marketing campaign will continue producing advertisements hinges on funding and an analysis of how effective the ad rotation and the ads themselves are, Foley said.

Gabriel said the production crew hopes to continue working with UM.

“We loved the energy and vibe of UM,” he said.

Despite the campaign’s success, Foley said some people involved had doubts at the beginning.

Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Jed Liston said every new marketing strategy, including something as small as a brochure, causes some worry.

He said they have to ask the question: “Is this going to make a connection?”

He said it has.

“Prospective students really like them,” Liston said.

Foley said in years past, UM’s work with students would essentially do all the necessary marketing, but now schools need to be more proactive.

“President Dennison and a number of others realized it’s kind of a new day, that we have to go out and tell people our story,” he said. “That’s what we did.”

http://www.montanakaimin.com/index.php/news/news_article/new_round_of_commercials_for_um/