When UNC’s “Minds on a Mission” commercial was first aired more than four years ago, it was well received and won numerous awards.
While the commercial’s message still resonates, the University recently disclosed plans to freshen the campaign with an updated commercial featuring more modern content. UNC should work to partner with current students for some part of the commercial development process.
Those in charge of commissioning the commercial are in the beginning stages of the process but have been open to a number of different ways to execute the commercial. Among these is the idea of involving students to develop smart, organic content.
This collaboration would be mutually beneficial as the University could save on development costs while simultaneously giving students an opportunity to gain useful experience in their respective areas of study.
The television spots in which these advertisements are aired are a part of the package that networks provide to ACC member institutions. They air during the halftime of ACC games, but the novelty of a frequently aired commercial quickly wears off. This could be avoided by filming multiple, slightly different cuts that vary in time length and could be aired for commercial spots of different lengths.
The current commercial advertises the global impact that UNC students have when working to find, cure, invent, protect, inspire and solve issues in a variety of disciplines, and none of this has changed. UNC would do well to incorporate students in the development of a new commercial using new ideas.
The recent rise in public interest in this project shows that people are invested in UNC’s branding, and that students and alumni are listening and ready for a fresh cut.
