Editor's Note: The following is not meant to deceive. The intent is to provide you with a different, light-hearted approach to telling the annual Super Bowl ad rate story.
Westminster College, one of the nation's leading private, church-related liberal arts colleges, will not be advertising in this year's Super Bowl.
The announcement from Westminster, located in New Wilmington, western Pennsylvania Amish country, didn't seem to faze ABC executives.
"While we would enjoy sharing the many benefits of a Westminster College education with a worldwide audience, the $2 million rate for a 30-second ad doesn't fit our philosophy. We'd rather use the money to help our students receive the personalized education they've come to expect from Westminster since 1852," according to Mark Meighen, Westminster College senior director of marketing communication.
"Since we limit our incoming classes to around 350 students and a record number of prospective students are applying to Westminster, exposing Westminster to 88-million Super Bowl viewers would force us to turn away even more applicants," Meighen added. "That's not what Westminster is about. We pride ourselves on helping students succeed. That's why we are ranked among the top 10 liberal arts colleges in the country in graduation rate performance."
Creative directors at some of the nation's leading advertising agencies seemed relieved their spots wouldn't be competing with Westminster College spots.
It would be difficult to explain the $800,000 in production costs to our client if they found out Westminster College produced a quality television commercial for four dollars, according to a creative director, who wished to remain anonymous.
For more information about Westminster College, contact Mark Meighen, senior director of marketing communications at (724) 946-7191 or e-mail [email protected]
About Westminster CollegeFounded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College is ranked among national leaders in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News & World Report, and is the most affordable national liberal arts college in Pennsylvania. Westminster was recognized by Yahoo! Internet Life as "one of America's Most Wired Colleges" and by the Templeton Guide as a "Character Building College." Over 1,600 students benefit from individualized attention (11/1 student/faculty ratio) from dedicated faculty, while choosing from 40 majors and nearly 100 organizations on the New Wilmington, Pa. campus. For more information visit www.westminster.edu
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