MSU featured in new 'We Are Here' Big Ten ad

The positive impact of Michigan State University and other Big Ten universities will be highlighted in a new 30-second ad that will air during sporting events featuring conference members starting with this week’s season-opening football games.

The ad — titled “We Are Here” — will air alongside the fan-favorite “Maps” ad. The new spot focuses on how Big Ten universities make America healthier, safer and more prosperous through everything from discovering new medical treatments to developing healthier foods to driving economic growth.

Earlier this year, Michigan State University launched “Research for You,” its online resource that highlights how Spartans work every day to find solutions that improve daily life, help families stay healthy, strengthen communities and keep America globally competitive. From lifesaving cancer drugs that treat millions to advancements in agriculture that help deliver healthy food to the kitchen table, Spartan research makes life better.

Michigan State University is home for more than 50,000 students that hail from 130 countries, all 50 states and each of Michigan’s 83 counties. Last year, MSU deployed $474 million in federal research dollars, supporting more than 3,000 researchers at more than 100 institutes and centers. For every dollar invested in public research, more than two dollars is returned to the economy. As a leading public research university, MSU research generates a ripple effect through the state’s economy and workforce.

“Nearly six decades ago, a research breakthrough at Michigan State University changed how the world treated cancer,” said President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D. “Today, research at MSU ranges from developing new treatments for pancreatic cancer to enhancing security by testing the next generation of microchips to developing more resilient crops that help lower food costs. I am thrilled to see the Big Ten Conference help spread the word about the impact of universities like MSU on communities across the country and around the world.”

Collectively, the 18 members of the Big Ten Conference educate more than 817,000 students and conduct $19.6 billion in research each year. The majority of that research is conducted thanks to the American people and their support for federal investments in the nation’s global leadership in health and innovation.

“On behalf of its 18 member universities, I commend the Big Ten Conference’s commitment to showcasing research innovation and our conference’s collective impact on communities and the nation,” said University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines, who chairs the Big Ten’s Council of Presidents and Chancellors. “We are proud to be a part of an alliance that shares our dedication to student-athlete success and research for the public good.”

The ad will air on linear and digital platforms during sporting events featuring Big Ten universities, using airtime allocated to the conference as part of its media agreements, including the Big Ten Network, or BTN. This new initiative builds on other conference efforts, including research vignettes highlighting the impact of university research that air during select BTN sporting event broadcasts.

“We Are Here” was developed by a creative team made up of staff from Big Ten member universities, including three members of MSU’s University Communications and Marketing staff, under the auspices of the Big Ten Academic Alliance. It is the first in a planned series of three ads, which, over the course of the series, will feature footage from all 18 universities.