A Stirring University of Phoenix Spot Pays Tribute to Olympic Basketball Star Gail Marquis
Maya Angelou's 'Still I Rise' Provides the Backdrop
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
Need a credit fix? Contact the Creativity Editors
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