• by Larissa Faw , January 6, 2017

University of Phoenix (UOPX) is expanding its We Rise brand platform with the introduction of a motivational campaign featuring alumni and PhD candidate Carlos Ramirez. 

Developed with agency 180LA, the creative intermixes clips of Ramirez today working in healthcare with a younger Ramirez - played by an actor - who came to the U.S. from Mexico. The idea is to highlight the challenges he experienced growing up.

180LA translated his real-life backstory into all of the imagery, such as Ramirez studying while the microwave is going off and his encounters with police. The spot ends with him today serving as an executive director of AccentCare Home Health, and teaching nursing students twice weekly at Imperial Valley College.

“We do not have a multi-cultural strategy that puts our target audience into buckets but instead we aim to tell the authentic stories of the student population, some of whom happen to be Hispanic or African American,” says Rafael Rizuto, Executive Creative Director at 180LA. “There is nothing contrived in the way we select the alumni we showcase. They are simply a natural representation of University of Phoenix’s student body.”

Ramirez was selected in part because he represents the school's diversity - nearly half report as ethnic minorities (46.7% in 2015). His story also represents the spirit of the American dream: the ability to move to a new country, get an education, and achieve great things through grit and determination. 

The campaign includes TV spots and a series of online videos that tell the deeper story of  Ramirez’s experience at UOPX. The TV will run on major TV networks including ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX and will air during the Grammy’s. Cable TV includes ESPN, HGTV, and E!. 

This media buy is targeted to prioritize two segments. The first aims at busy parents who want to get an education to provide for their families and set an example for their children. Also targeted are those who have some college education and want to finish what they started. 

180LA was awarded the account in September 2015. Last year, the WeRise initiative showed how football player Larry Fitzgerald fulfilled a promise to his mom to earn a college degree.