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New UConn commercial, web site promote Husky loyaltyby Richard Veilleux - October 6, 2008
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| A new web site allows users to download the Husky fight song to their cell phones, post photos or videos, or join one of half a dozen UConn-related social networking groups. The site, http://alwayspartofu.com, is featured in a new 30-second commercial that will run during UConn football and basketball games this year through March 2009. It debuted during the Huskies’ game against Baylor on Sept. 19. In it, a series of UConn alumni are seen proudly displaying UConn sweatshirts, a UConn diploma, license plate, and flags. Throughout the ad, the Husky fight song plays, but it swings from the familiar marching band version to variations featuring a soft piano, jangling guitars, and a soft Hawaiian lilt. “We decided to use the fight song because if you’ve come through the doors of the University of Connecticut, you know it,” says David Martel, director of marketing communications. “If fans are leaving the room for a commercial break during a game and hear the song, they’re going to pause. They know their fight song,” “The commercial communicates that UConn isn’t simply a four-year experience but rather, one that lasts a lifetime,” Martel says. The key to the effort is the affinity web site, which is chock full of features. Visitors can download the Husky fight song – in the versions heard in the commercial – as a ringtone for their cell phone or iPod; there are several versions of wallpaper and screensavers for computers; photos and videos can be loaded onto the site or viewed; there are links to social networks that allow visitors to join groups for Husky football or basketball fans – men’s or women’s – or for people who would like to discuss any or all of UConn’s 24 athletics teams. There’s another group for friends of the UConn Marching Band, one for the Student Alumni Association, and another for UConn alumni. The alumni social networking group also allows alumni to access the alumni career network, the University’s Career Services office, an online directory, and an events calendar. There is also a section for class notes – small tidbits of information on what old friends are doing today.
“We’re proud to have taken the University commercial and created an interactive experience for those who have an affinity for the University to be able to show it and express it,” Martel says. The Health Center has also launched two new television ads this fall. One ad promotes TomoTherapy, a sophisticated and precise radiation oncology treatment that is recommended for several types of cancer. In Connecticut, TomoTherapy can only be found at the Health Center’s Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center. The second ad promotes joint preservation and replacement services at the New England Musculoskeletal Institute, also at the Health Center. Joint preservation is a niche program that provides multidisciplinary care for younger patients with arthritis or other degenerative diseases who want to remain active. “While both ads draw attention to very specific services within the Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center and the New England Musculoskeletal Institute, they also create a ‘halo effect’ for the entire Health Center,” says Maureen McGuire, communications director at the Health Center. “They complement our ongoing efforts to differentiate the Health Center from its clinical competitors.” The Health Center ads will air on all major networks, as well as PBS and cable systems in northern Connecticut throughout the fall, and will resume in 2009. Both ads were shot at the Health Center campus in late August. The ads can be found by visiting the Health Center’s homepage – www.uchc.edu – and following the banners for TomoTherapy and theNew England Musculoskeletal Institute. |
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