The indomitable spirit of Husker Nation — that shared, inner drive to never relent, even when in pursuit of bold goals or when facing a global pandemic — is the focus of two new University of Nebraska–Lincoln television commercials.

Breaking the mold followed by many universities, which use outside ad agencies for commercials, the ads were produced in-house using talents from University Communication and Academic Services and Enrollment Management. The spots feature Husker student, faculty and staff and their groundbreaking research, outreach, instruction and learning.

“Not only do these commercials showcase the tremendous momentum and excellence at our university, they are a reflection of the incredible talent we have on staff,” said Deb Fiddelke, chief communication and marketing officer for the university. “I’m incredibly proud that we were able to harness that talent and produce this caliber of commercial.”

The "Momentum" spot takes on a more general theme, highlighting how the university community moves forward when faced with hurdles.

Traditionally, the university releases a single institutional spot annually to be featured in sports broadcasts. This year, due to the depth and breadth of campus success, two spots — “Sun” and “Momentum” — were created.

“We have a powerful story to tell this year,” said Andy Schadwinkel, director of strategic marketing initiatives. “’Sun’ highlights the grit and determination of our students, faculty and staff, and how they continue to do big things even with the challenges of the last year.

“And, ‘Momentum’ is more general, telling the story about how our university doesn’t slow down, that we’re not letting up.”

Rotating weekly, the videos will play during national and regional broadcasts of Husker football games and during Big Ten Network programming. The first ad will play during the Aug. 28 Husker football game with Illinois. They are also available online to review and share.

Featured university programs include the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts; Center for Digital Research in the Humanities; Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship; and early childhood education. The videos also highlight cutting-edge research in phenotyping, Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior; remote surgery; precision agriculture studies into the farm of the future; and furthering understanding of severe storms.

“The broader message we’ve heard over and over again is that the world of higher education took a pause in the last 18 months, that we’re just starting to ramp back up to restart this fall,” Schadwinkel said. “That’s not true at Nebraska. We’ve thoughtfully and carefully navigated the curves of the pandemic, but also prioritized moving forward in pursuit of our missions.

“These ads are intended to showcase that fact, showing the world that Nebraska has kept right on going.”