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USC students rally to promote their university
University of the Sunshine Coast students turned out in force recently to help promote their university by taking part in an advertising campaign that looks set to go “viral” on the Internet.
Hundreds of students gathered on campus to take part in a mock rally of support for Brisbane city students who “don't have it as good” as USC students.
The rally was filmed for a television and cinema commercial that underlines USC's tagline “The best of both worlds”, meaning a quality university experience combined with the relaxed Sunshine Coast lifestyle.
The commercial highlights USC’s ratings in The Good Universities Guide in recent years as the only public university in Queensland with five stars for teaching quality and as the highest ranked public university in Queensland for graduate satisfaction.
The rally protested that city students deserve better, including real beaches with waves … a tongue-in-cheek jibe at the man-made beach at Brisbane's South Bank.
“The television commercial has been designed as a bit of fun and has been warmly embraced by our students,” said USC’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill.
Professor Hill said the advertisement would be shown on Sunshine Coast television stations and at cinemas from Sunday 10 July.
The advertisement can be viewed on YouTube, where it is expected to attract plenty of attention, and can be viewed from a special Help the City Students microsite that has been established for the advertising campaign.
USC is the newest and fastest-growing university in Australia, which now has almost 8,000 students, after opening with only 500 students in 1996.
— Terry Walsh