Hail, Stanford commercials, hail
New television spots highlight Stanford inventions, irreverence
October 5, 2007
By Christian Torres </p>
<p>In the middle of Stanford Football’s 41-3 blowout loss to Arizona State last Saturday, fans at Stanford Stadium, and those watching on Fox Sports Net, paused — not just for a third-quarter timeout — but for a marshmallow in a microwave. </p>
<p>As a marshmallow bunny bubbled and bloated on screen, a nonchalant voiceover described how “the people of Stanford University answer the call” of the arts and sciences to invent technology such as the microwave — which is why, the voiceover finishes, “Hail, Stanford, Hail.”</p>
<p>Not the typical commercial break for a football game — let alone the typical ad for a university — “Klystron Tube” is one of three “Hail, Stanford, Hail” commercials that promote the Cardinal during televised athletic events. The other two are “FM Synthesizer,” which features a wild-haired keyboardist rocking out to FM waves, and “Laser Technology,” which features a cat chasing a red laser pointer.</p>
<p>In stark contrast, past years’ TV campaigns have featured singular commercials showing glimpses of the Oval, campus events and student life. Noticing similar ads from colleges across the nation, Stanford officials were looking for something that would “rise above the clutter,” according to Kate Chesley, information editor for University Communications.</p>
<p>“Most college institutional promotional messages are very predictable and follow a very similar format,” Chesley said. “We were looking for something different so we could better compete for the attention of alumni, students and others watching Cardinal sports.”