Universities on screen

Video adverts for Universities

It seems to be surprisingly difficult to produce a really decent TV advert for a university. Perhaps it’s because trying to capture the essence of such a complex and multi-faceted activity as higher education in 30 seconds of words and pictures is really pretty hard. This set of recent(ish) videos seem to prove this point although the Harper Adams one is pretty clear and direct.

De Montfort University

[youtube id=”YBi8Q_dg00U” align=”center” mode=”normal” maxwidth=”620″ grow=”yes”]

Sunderland University:

[youtube id=”_TeG45iwo4g” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no” maxwidth=”620″ grow=”yes”]

Southampton University:

[youtube id=”RFSs9OOQ0nk” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no” maxwidth=”620″ grow=”yes”]

Harper Adams University:

[vimeo id=”57607623″ align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no” maxwidth=”620″ grow=”yes”]

Not every university does this kind of advert, possibly because they are not cheap to produce. For every official video though there are many more unofficial ones, some of which manage to be both amusing and clever and arguably as potentially effective in attracting student as their more expensive counterparts. For example:

There’s this unofficial one from the University of Lincoln (allegedly banned by the university):

[youtube id=”O5fzmmrk6kk” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no” maxwidth=”620″ grow=”yes”]

This one on ‘the student learning experience” at the University of Nottingham:

[youtube id=”NE3myZowOSY” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no” maxwidth=”620″ grow=”yes”]

This fictional satirical ad for Every University:

[youtube id=”T24DPU-hkJM” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no” maxwidth=”620″ grow=”yes”]

This straightforward ad for the outstanding Monsters University:

[youtube id=”THhRSJC5FX8″ align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no” maxwidth=”620″ grow=”yes”]

And finally, this widely derided promotional video from Loughborough University Students’ Union, which was definitely compelling viewing, certainly made an impact:

[youtube id=”6lOVwIBhVaE” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no” maxwidth=”620″ grow=”yes”]

What does all of this show? This kind of thing really is difficult to do well, whether you spend a fortune or leave it to the amateurs.

Update: Thanks to Ellie Lovell for pointing out this rather distinctive one from Western Sydney which I had not seen before:

[youtube id=”buA3tsGnp2s” align=”center” mode=”normal” maxwidth=”620″]

And another one:

[youtube id=”0P-kyuUTNk8″ align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no” maxwidth=”620″ grow=”yes”]

Someone also suggested this which is a bit different, focussing on a sector initiative, the HE Achievement Record. If you think selling a university is difficult, try selling an addition to a transcript:

[youtube id=”McxfN1Rslkw” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no” maxwidth=”620″ grow=”yes”]