A Stirring University of Phoenix Spot Pays Tribute to Olympic Basketball Star Gail Marquis

Maya Angelou's 'Still I Rise' Provides the Backdrop

Published On
Aug 09, 2016

Editor's Pick

The University of Phoenix has launched a stirring spot celebrating alumna Gail Marquis, an Olympic basketball champion who went on to become a Wall Street executive, to run during the Olympics.

Created by 180 L.A., the ad is set to the Maya Angelou poem "Still I Rise," read by the poet herself, and eventually ending with Marquis reading it. It charts the journey Marquis made from young girl watching the Olympics on TV, to become World Champion, to working in finance, to gaining her MBA at the University of Phoenix in 2006.

Eliot Rausch at Stink directed the spot, whose cast includes a youth center worker playing the young Marquis, chosen because she "embodies the passion and tenacity of Gail," real athletes playing basketball players and a young girl in the final scene cast because her hero is Angelou.

The University Phoenix is not the only advertiser to use Angelou as a source of inspiration during this year's Olympics: Apple used a recording of her reciting her poem "The Human Family" as the backdrop to its Olympics "Shot on iPhone" ad.

Credits

Date
Aug 09, 2016
Brand :
University of Phoenix
Client :
University of Phoenix
Agency :
180 LA
Chief Marketing Officer :
Joan Blackwood
Vice President, Brand Marketing :
Monica Gaston
Executive Creative Director :
Jeff Preston
Marketing :
Jeff Preston
Director, Social Media :
Mark Deyer
Chief Creative Officer :
William Gelner
Executive Creative Director :
Eduardo Marques
Executive Creative Director :
Rafael Rizuto
Creative Director :
Wilson Mateos
Copywriter :
Josh Hacohen
Art Director :
Karine Grigorian
Head of Integrated Production :
Natasha Wellesley
Executive Producer :
Calleen Colburn
Group Brand Director :
Suzy Sammons
Brand Director :
Jillian Nalty
Brand Manager :
Nicole Leeds
Executive Strategy Director :
Kasi Bruno
Strategic Planner :
Tess McGourty
Business Affairs Director :
Loretta Zolliecoffer
Business Affairs Manager :
Angel Cielo
Production Company :
Stink
Managing Director :
Jeff Baron
Director :
Eliot Rausch
Director, Photography :
Chayse Irvin
Executive Producer :
Fran McGivern
Line Producer :
Jason Manz
Casting :
Beth Melsky
Location :
New York
Editorial Company :
Exile
Editor :
Conor O'Neill
Executive Producer :
CL Weaver
Producer :
Michael Miller
Assistant Editor :
Rex Lowry
Completion/Special Effects :
The Mill LA
Managing Director :
Rani Melendez
Executive Producer :
Leighton Greer
Producer :
Alex Bader
Production Coordinator :
Sardor Kaziyev
Shoot Supervisor :
Gavin Wellsman
Shoot Supervisor :
Eric Pascarelli
2D Lead :
John Shirley
2D Artist :
Sam Evenson
2D Artist :
Jeff Langlois
2D Artist :
Alex Candlish
Matte Painter :
Itai Muller
Designer :
Greg Park
Designer :
Clare Carrellas
Color Executive Producer :
Thatcher Peterson
Color Producer :
Diane Valera
Color Coordinator :
Robert Cohen
Colorist :
Greg Reese
Recording Studio :
Eleven Sound
Mixer :
Jeff Payne
Assistant Mixer :
AJ Murillo
Assistant Mixer :
Jordan Meltzer
Executive Producer :
Suzanne Hollingshead
Producer :
Melissa Elston
Music :
Walker
Executive Producer :
Sara Matarazzo
Producer :
Ieva Barbarian
Music Composer :
Miguel Coiz
Sound Design :
Brian Emrich

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Project Type