From the Nominator

Created entirely in-house, this commercial challenges conventional marketing approaches in higher education. Serving as the debut in a series of advertisements, the ad's goal is simple: to authentically highlight the strengths of the University of Iowa to potential students and to drive action—visits, applications, and enrollment. The commercial's concept is rooted in our most notable ranking as the best public university for writing and communication, which we support by prominently featuring logos from film and television projects our alumni have contributed to. This demonstrates real-world outcomes and leaves a memorable impression. We then use vivid imagery of the student experience to invite potential applicants to envision their own journey at the university. The commercial ends with a rallying call, inspiring viewers to realize their own potential at Iowa, just as Caitlin Clark has done with women's basketball. Prospective students encountered our ads on a mix of social platforms and over-the-top (OTT) streaming services, such as Instagram, YouTube, Hulu, and Prime. To optimize mobile viewing on social media platforms, we produced a 15-second vertical version of this creative. As of February 26, 2024, these ad exposures directly resulted in 105 applications and 216 clicks on our landing page for campus visits. Iowa has seen a 8.7% increase in overall applications and a 11.2% increase in non-resident applications, indicating that our marketing efforts are successfully prompting viewers to take action.

From the Judges

Great use of "proof of purchase" strategy, with the examples of great work by alumni, then transitioning to the students and programs. Very effective storytelling in a short amount of time and at very little cost.