180LA Gets Inspiring In New Spot for University of Phoenix

180LA is launching a motivational campaign today for University of Phoenix that features alum and PhD candidate Carlos Ramirez playing himself, and highlights the life-changing drive and determination of its students and alumni.

Part of the #WeRise brand platform, the campaign tells the powerful story of a young Carlos (played by an actor in early days), who came to the U.S. from Mexico with his parents and siblings, seeking a better life – and working hard to build one.

While growing up, Carlos cared for his three siblings and continually found odd jobs while his parents worked. Amazingly, taking care of those kids brought something out in Carlos – his passion for the health, happiness and care of others. Through his struggles, dedication and perseverance, while working full-time, Carlos earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Nursing from University of Phoenix, and is now working towards his doctorate.

Today, he is executive director of AccentCare Home Health, and teaches nursing students twice weekly at Imperial Valley College.

The TV spot strategically uses the sounds and visual memories from Carlos’ past to his present to show his struggles and determination: the sound of a beeping microwave transforms to a heart monitor; a tire pump becomes a nebulizer; a pen tapping while studying turns into footsteps down a hospital hallway; and the clanging of a farm pushcart becomes a patient’s gurney. The visual elements mirror Carlos’ difficult life, while highlighting the possibilities at hand when people combine passion and hard work with opportunity.

“Carlos is just one of many incredible stories of University of Phoenix students that shows how adversity made them stronger,” says Joan Blackwood, Chief Marketing Officer at University of Phoenix. “Our students overcome obstacles and are willing to put in the hard work required to complete their education, often while raising a family or working a full-time job.”

"When you listen to the trials of Carlos, you find amazing stories of determination,” notes Eduardo Marques, Executive Creative Director at 180LA. “He is one example of University of Phoenix students rising.”

The campaign is spearheaded by TV and includes a series of online videos that tell the deeper story of Carlos’ experience at University of Phoenix. 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! to name a few.

“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.”