, Department
of Public Information, (814) 865-7517 or
.
University Park, Pa. – This week and all this month, travelers across the state will be greeted by billboards of the Nittany Lion and the message, ‘Making Life Better.’
The 163 new billboards, developed by the Department of Marketing and Advertising in Penn State’s Office of University Relations, are the most recent phase of a four-year advertising campaign. The outdoor ads are clustered near the University’s 24 locations and prominently refer to the Penn State campus in the area and its Web address.
But the most notable feature of the billboard is a large color photo of the Nittany Lion shrine, an icon that has come to symbolize the University.
"Our marketing research revealed that when people were asked what symbol they immediately associate with Penn State, the top response by far – 58 percent – was the Nittany Lion," said Cynthia B. Hall, director of University Marketing and Advertising. "The Lion was a natural choice to use for this campaign, which is intended to raise awareness with the general public across the state of all our campuses and programs."
The campaign also includes radio advertisements tailored to the Penn State campus in a particular listening area. These reinforce the theme of the University’s positive impact on the commonwealth through its three-pronged mission of teaching, research, and service.
Hall said the message ‘Making Life Better’ is intentionally short and to the point, and allows viewers or listeners a chance to think about how Penn State has touched their lives.
"We are recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in higher education, a leader in technology transfer, and a leader in outreach," said Penn State President Graham B. Spanier. "We fulfill our land-grant mission every day in a variety of ways in every corner of the state, and we want people right here in Pennsylvania to hear the good news. We want them to stop to think how Penn State really is making their lives better."
Last year, a Gallup Poll found that Penn State came in second to Harvard as the best university in the nation in terms of overal perception among respondents in the east. In addition, more than 75,000 people from across the country applied to one of the University’s 24 locations in 1999.
##########
Contact:
, Department
of Public Information, (814) 865-7517 or
.