UALR’s 2009-10 “Difference of Degree” advertising campaign launched this month with a fresh new message that emphasizes the metropolitan university’s unique differences from other colleges and universities in Arkansas.

The campaign, which will run through the academic year, consists of TV, print, online, and outdoor/billboard advertising. This is the third year the university has used the “Difference of Degree” tagline in its ad campaign. The UALR Office of Communications and Mangan Holcomb Partners advertising agency execute the campaign.

“We’ve done a really great job of bringing our constituencies up-to-date about UALR’s strengths for the past two years,” said Judy Williams, UALR communications director. “This year we are taking the message a step further and talking about what happens when you combine the advantages of a vibrant university and a vibrant capital city.”

The three TV ads feature two UALR students and one graduate. In the first spot, viewers meet Calvin Chester, a UALR student from North Little Rock who is taking advantage of the state’s only dance degree while living in the cultural center of Arkansas.

The other two ads, still in production, will spotlight Ashley Fejleh of Rogers, a Donaghey Scholar and pre-med student who has taken advantage of all of the medical and research opportunities on campus and in Little Rock. Mike Tobias, a 2009 information technology graduate from Conway, is featured as a student who interned at the Arkansas Supreme Court and upon graduation later landed a job there.

According to Williams, choosing which college or university to attend can be a difficult decision – and it’s a lifetime investment. “Our job in communications, whether we’re recruiting students or we’re asking for support from the community, is not only to talk about who we are but also about how we are different so that students and supporters can make informed decisions.”

The ads zero in on the advantages of place – a quality metropolitan university located in the capital city, the state’s core of research and medicine, business, government, and culture and arts. For a student, that means more opportunities for networking, internships, and jobs. For leisure activities, that means more cultural and social things to do such as the Little Rock Zoo, the Arkansas Arts Center, the Dickey Stephens Baseball Park, and the RiverMarket.

For the city, that means a constant supply of well educated interns, employees, community leaders, and volunteers.

“We’re often told that UALR is one of the best kept secrets in Arkansas,” said Williams. “That’s changing. As our students, alumni, business and industry partners, faculty, scientists, and community leaders are telling and living the stories about the synergy between UALR and Little Rock, the secret is getting out.”