Just days following Super Bowl XLVIII and the Seattle Seahawks’ 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is still reveling in its southeastern Wisconsin share of the 111.5 million super bowl viewers that night.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) in partnership with Fox 6 aired a 30 second, local commercial shown in the southeastern Wisconsin region at the end of the third quarter of the game. The upbeat, driving music and quick cuts of the super bowl ad exhibited the university’s wide array of schools and colleges, student life, academics and sports.
“It was a small glimpse of our incredible academic diversity,” said UWM’s Vice Chancellor of University Relations and Communications Tom Luljak. “It appeals to students interested in a university with a lot of variety and energy.”
The university’s super bowl ad was an outgrowth of a relationship between UWM and Fox 6 and was part of a larger media buy for the month of February.
“We had never had a super bowl spot before, but because of our relationship with Fox 6, we were provided the opportunity to get a spot in the game this year,” Luljak said.
Luljak explained the commercial was designed to provide a snapshot of UWM’s diverse demographics. The university attracts traditional students, 18 and 19-year-olds right out of high school, as well as adults coming back to finish their degrees and online learners.
“Advertising in the super bowl you get to hit all the demographics simultaneously. Otherwise, you’d be buying media placements aimed at specific demographics that can skew the perception of the school and its students.”
The commercial is currently in its third year of airtime, having been created by the Chicago marketing firm Lipman Hearne and the local, Milwaukee film company Purple Onion that employs UWM film graduate students.
Funding for the commercial came from the University’s foundation and from revenue generated through sponsorships or branded merchandise.
“Every organization, either profit or nonprofit, has to advertise. But we do everything possible to protect students’ tuition money and money from the state,” Luljak said. “No tuition or tax dollars were used in its production or placement.”
Luljak also said the university has seen a small decrease in enrolment over the past few years, making this super bowl ad all the more worth while.
“It [Superbowl XLVIII] was the most watched TV program in American history, with a very, very strong viewership in Milwaukee. And the beautiful thing is that we got to get our brand out in front of an incredibly diverse audience.”
To view the two versions of UWM’s “You Belong Here” commercial visit: