Boise State University’s new brand-level marketing campaign is gaining visibility in the community, in Idaho and soon, across the nation.
The Out of the Blue campaign is anchored by a new television commercial that will debut nationally on Saturday, Sept. 2 during ABC’s broadcast of the football game between Boise State and the University of Washington. The spot will air during national broadcasts all season at no charge to the university as part of the partnership between Boise State’s athletic conference and the broadcast networks.
The campaign is designed to demonstrate and amplify what innovation looks like at Boise State, how the university is positively impacting Idaho and how a unique Blue Turf Thinking mindset spans all academic areas while impacting student success. It hones in on the university’s unrelenting spirit and its bold and distinct vision for the future.
Four students and a faculty member were selected to participate in this initial rollout. Additional members of the campus community will be featured as brand “heroes” as the campaign expands in the months to come.
Meet the five Boise State people featured in the campaign and learn about their favorite moments of the video production.
Closed captions are available and a text transcript is provided in the Video Transcript section on this page.
New, large-scale marketing placements depicting the Out of the Blue campaign are in development and many are already installed, including at the Boise Airport, on the west side of Towers Residence Hall, street banners in downtown Boise and a new billboard on I-84 at the Broadway Exit.
The narrative for the Out of the Blue campaign is a work of strategy. It was informed and developed following extensive research and in-depth qualitative discovery over a period of several months in 2022. The campaign is part of a broader brand platform designed to align the Boise State community around core messages and cultural values – all that differentiate Boise State University in the marketplace.
We know changing the world doesn’t happen by chance. It comes out of the Blue.
(Music)
[Scott Matlock] I was obviously born and raised here in Boise I’m a hometown kid you know play for the hometown team you know kind of grew up here in Boise and bounced around a bit obviously I was adopted and I was in foster care but went to school in Homedale.
[Kayly Pau] So I became a criminal justice major when I came over here so everything was online along with but we still had volleyball just with math so it was definitely different and then on top of that being an athlete like you’re representing not only Boise State but you’re also representing Idaho yourself where you’re from and you have little kids that like look up to you want to be in your shoes one day
[Ally Almaraz] I’m born and raised here in Idaho I was born in Nampa raised in Homedale and then I went to Caldwell High I’m also a first generation student I have big big family.
[David Estrada] So I grew up in Idaho I’m from Nampa originally I did six years in the United States Navy as an Electronics Warfare technician most of that was in Yokosuka, Japan, on the Curtis Wilbur and after that so I came back to Boise State did my undergrad in electrical engineering where I was also a McNair scholar and then from there I went into graduate school University of Illinois before coming back as a faculty member.
[Pangaea Finn] I’m an early college student at Boise State I started taking classes here at age 13 and I’m 17 now and I’m about to graduate.
[Ally Almaraz] It was so fun it was I felt like a celebrity just having this huge like production crew following me around was crazy my friends were like oh my gosh what’s going on and it it was just it was really cool it was really fun everyone was super friendly it was easy to joke around and talk to the whole crew and everyone was just really kind.
[Kayly Pau] It was like almost being catered to like I had my makeup artist I had like do you need anything do you want anything and everyone was just like it’s okay we’ll get everything even when the lighting wasn’t working or they had a crawl to do something or even toss a ball it was like you’re fine you’re just do you I was like okay awesome I’m just like a princess.
[David Estrada] I think just the feeling and the excitement of my team because I got to Showcase their research and be in the labs with the production crew and so all that excitement and energy and for days afterwards they were talking about the experience so it was a lot of fun.
[Pangaea Finn] When we were filming in the Recital Hall in the Morrison Center in front of the camera we did a lot of shots around the piano and just shots of me from various angles mostly pictures some short videos with the audience there that was fun.
[Scott Matlock] I think when we were playing around with the fog later in the evening when it was dark and the stadium lights were on and I was in my uniform and you know we were running out of the tunnel a couple times that never gets old no matter how many times you do it it’s uh you always get those chills and that was definitely probably my favorite moment.
