From the Nominator

"As 2022 began, you could feel the University of Missouri shifting. We were coming out of COVID. There were new coaches, new leadership, new inspiration for the university’s direction. 

The 4-year-old network commercial didn’t reflect where we were as an institution. We knew it in marketing, and the president confirmed it when he specifically asked that we create something new by the first football game! It wasn’t originally in the budget or the plan, but it was the right thing to do. Now we had to find a production company who could meet our vision, budget and tight deadline. With a production partner secured and only five months to execute, what began was a sprint marathon to recreate what we were all feeling on campus in a :30 spot.   

How could we stand out amid thousands of institutional spots running across the nation? How could we share Mizzou’s reputation as a top public research university and showcase the incredible research championed by our students, staff and faculty in a fresh way? 

"The Idea" was birthed over the course of many brainstorming sessions, and it felt amazing to create a commercial with an actual storyline and not just a million campus beauty shots strung together set to an epic music track, though we managed to wedge that in too.    

We hit our deadline, and the commercial aired on the SEC network, ESPN, CBS, CTV and social media, cementing Mizzou’s reputation as a research powerhouse worth watching."

From the Judges

This nomination really impressed the judge pool with its creativity and ability to tell a compelling story. The use of a narrative in a commercial format is a unique approach, and it was executed with great videography and storytelling. The judges appreciated how the commercial stood out from others, with its attention to detail and focus on creating an engaging storyline.