In the Spotlight

Showing prospective students and parents what it’s like to be a student at Baylor is an important part of helping them choose the right university for them. As a member institution in the Big 12 Conference, Baylor is allotted a broadcast Public Service Announcement (PSA) commercial in each televised football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and other games throughout the year to do just that. These athletic events provide a platform through which the University showcases the Baylor experience to a national audience.

“The commercial is a great opportunity to enhance what people know about Baylor, beyond the game they are watching. We strive to shine a light on the University in a way that stands out from the typical commercials of other institutions. We often utilize our students and faculty to provide an authentic look at what makes Baylor truly unique — academic excellence built on a strong and vibrant Christian commitment,” Vice President for Marketing and Communications and Chief Marketing Officer Jason Cook, A.B.C. ’20 said.

This year’s commercial soundtrack — Shine A Light by Elevation Worship — sets the upbeat tone for the spot, which features 23 Baylor students and four faculty members at various locations on and off campus. Sites like Armstrong Browning Library, the Baylor Marina and gathering spaces on campus showcase a vibrant campus life. Utilizing the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative labs of Annette von Jouanne, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Min Pack, Ph.D., assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and an onsite field experience with Cole Matson, Ph.D., associate professor of environmental sciences, the commercial spotlights undergraduates engaged in research alongside faculty who care about them as individuals.

“I was excited to be able to help create this commercial film with Baylor University and its advertising agency, Johnson & Sekin,” cinematographer and director Norry Niven said. “What a dream project. Watch the spot, and you can feel the powerfully positive energy Baylor generates. Those faces we filmed glow from a very real brightness that’s not just in their hearts, it’s in Baylor.”

Mason Burrage-Burton, a junior from New Madrid, Missouri, who appears in the spot, did not know Baylor uses actual students and faculty in commercials.

“I also never realized how much work went into making them,” Burrage-Burton said. “It was a lot of fun participating in the commercial and even more fun seeing it on television later.”