FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Sept. 7, 2007
Contact: Lalena Price, University Communications (304) 746-1989
 

Marshall University commercial starring theater major
to air during Friends of Coal Bowl

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Football fans attending the Friends of Coal Bowl at Joan C. Edwards Stadium and watching the game on ESPN2 will be the first to see the latest Marshall University recruitment commercial starring a senior theater major from Ironton, Ohio.

The 30-second ad will air on ESPN2 and on the video board at the stadium during a break in the Marshall-West Virginia University game, which starts at 11:02 a.m. Saturday. It follows 22-year-old student Shay Nicole Hannon through student life on the Huntington campus while her father checks up on her via cell phone.

“My years at Marshall have been the most important chapter in my life so far,” Hannon said. “It’s not every day that someone like me gets the chance to promote something I love and feel so passionate about. When they asked me to do it, I was so honored and excited.”

As a freshman, Hannon lived in the dorms and participated in student life despite being only 30 minutes from her home and family.

“I was so happy that the commercial focuses on how much living there is to do on campus,” she said. “It’s where I made all of my friends and where I became so connected to the university. What you see in the ad – including the frequent phone calls from my dad – is very much what I experienced and I’m glad I get to share that with potential students.”

The commercial was produced by Charles Ryan Associates of Charleston in conjunction with Instructional Television Services of Marshall University. Both 30-second and 60-second spots will air predominantly in West Virginia and bordering states beginning in mid-September.

Director of recruitment Jean Gilman said it’s important to show potential students that Marshall has a wonderful environment for living and learning.

“We want students to know that we are an exciting, innovative, destination campus,” Gilman said. “We are currently visiting high schools around the nation to recruit students and this television exposure is key in these recruitment efforts.

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