New commercial showcases UW’s resilience, innovation

“You can’t stop a Badger.”

That’s the blunt message of a new 30-second television commercial that captures the innovation and resilience of the University of Wisconsin–Madison during this pandemic year.

It’s set to air during the broadcast of Friday’s Badger football game against Illinois at Camp Randall Stadium, as well as during other Badger football games. The game will be played with no fans in the stands, yet another change during a year when the campus, and the world, is coping with the threat of COVID-19.

The commercial highlights UW–Madison health care workers, researchers and others on campus who’ve all pitched in during the battle against COVID-19.

“When there are mask shortages for first responders, we make our own supply chain,” the commercial says, highlighting an effort to design and build masks. “When there’s a world on pause, we sharpen our claws.”

Tricia Nolan, UW–Madison’s assistant vice chancellor of marketing, says the commercial illustrates the many ways that UW–Madison’s resources – in research, health care and other fields – help the state and the nation through the pandemic.

The commercial uses existing photo and video assets to avoid in-person filming and to save on resources in a tight fiscal environment, and the creative idea generation, script, and production was done entirely remotely by staff working from home.