A new video series from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will offer prospective students and parents a preview of the City of Lincoln.
Launching Aug. 29, the four-part “Lincoln Lives” series follows Maiah, a Nebraska student and aspiring social media star, as she pursues a new internship and is tasked with a seemingly impossible project: making Abraham Lincoln look cool.
After an initial plan to ditch Abe goes awry, Maiah begrudgingly accepts her task. She ventures out with Abe to explore locations across Lincoln and the university.
Developed internally by Nebraska’s academic services and enrollment management marketing team, the video series will be accompanied by interactive activities ranging from electronic games to quizzes, and maps that showcase locations visited in each episode.
“We know a student’s college decision is serious process, but we wanted to showcase the vibrancy of the Lincoln community in a fun way with ‘Lincoln Lives’,” said Amber Williams, assistant vice chancellor for enrollment management. “The goal of the series is to eliminate misconceptions prospective students have about Lincoln and the Midwest in general, and get them to consider Nebraska as they move forward with college searches.”
The series also aims to dispel student concerns about the size of the city – from students in rural areas who feel the university is simply too big to those from metropolitan areas who believe Lincoln is too small – said Andrew Swenson, director of marketing and communications for academic services and enrollment management.
“ ‘Lincoln Lives’ is a form of branded content that has been successfully employed by brands in many categories that also market to our target audience,” Swenson said. “We solicited feedback from over 100 students across the state and country. The majority reported their perceptions of Lincoln improved as a result of watching the videos.”
Once students are open to considering Nebraska, staff follow up with more serious communication regarding the university’s excellent academic offerings and outstanding value.
The story also mirrors the personal and professional growth many students encounter while pursuing a degree.
“College is a place where you can struggle, find yourself and discover what kind of career best fits you,” Swenson said. “Maiah learns that along the way. She also finds that Lincoln is a community that offers many people willing to give guidance when it is needed.”
All four videos in the series will be released Aug. 29.
