By Julia Vergara | Staff Writer
As students arrived at Baylor for the Spring 2018 semester, some may have noticed the university was different — it was brighter, lit up with green all across campus.
These lights represent the beginning of Baylor’s new marketing and communications campaign, “Where Lights Shine Bright.”
Jason Cook, vice president for marketing and communications and chief marketing officer, said the lights were meant to visually send a signal that something different is going on at Baylor.
“We’ve been in a period of darkness over the last couple of years and now it’s time for us to step into the light,” Cook said. “We’re called to be a light in higher education as a Christian research university.”
With the start of a new year and a new semester, the Baylor marketing and communications department decided it was time to put a new face and a new message to Baylor, Cook said.
Cook said when Baylor President Dr. Linda Livingstone came to Baylor in June, they started having conversations on how to re-introduce Baylor to not only alumni and current students, but also prospective students, people around the state and across the country.
“We think the theme of light is really who we are,” Cook said.
Cook said the theme of light speaks to the university scripturally and from a tradition standpoint.
“In Matthew 5:14-16, each of us is called to be light in the world,” Livingstone said in a statement. “Our distinctive mission as a nationally ranked research institution that is unapologetically Christian places us at a very unique crossroads where faith and learning, scholarship and teaching, knowledge and service combine to create an academic experience unlike any other.”
Cook said even though Baylor marketing and communications has intentionally not told the entire story of the Baylor Lights campaign, they have planned a lot of different, fun ways to communicate light.
“There’s been some curiosity,” Cook said. “People asking the question, ‘What in the world is going on? I don’t understand this. Why are all these green lights here?’ And that’s one of the things that we wanted to do –– create some energy, some excitement, some curiosity with the campaign.”
One of the most noticeable features of the campaign is the newly installed letters around campus, spelling out “Baylor” and “Lights.” However, the letter Y is missing in “Baylor” and the letter I is missing in “Lights” –– providing an interactive photo opportunity for the community. Individuals can stand in for the missing letters, take a picture and post on social media using the hashtag: #BaylorLights.
Last Tuesday, a special “glow-tastic” Dr Pepper Hour took place. Not only was Livingstone present at the event, but they handed out Baylor Lights soda cups and unveiled the “Bright” letters to go along with “Baylor” and “Lights.” There was also a social media mosaic from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Bill Daniel Student Center where students were able to piece together a mosaic about Baylor using various social media images.
On Thursday night, the women’s basketball game will feature Baylor Lights with free t-shirts and glow sticks.
The campaign will also be bringing a Light Bright Scavenger Hunt for students this semester. Additional campaign events and details will be communicated through Baylor’s social media channels.
Cook said that the next phase of the campaign is to feature the lights on Baylor’s campus.
In a statement, Livingstone said that the “Where Lights Shine Bright” campaign will be sharing stories about Baylor’s transformative educational experience.
“We have faculty members, we have staff members, we have students who are lights on our campus,” Cook said. “So we’re going to be exploring these stories of the many lights that exist on our campus.”
