In an era when collegiate athletics enjoys unprecedented success, the Mountain West Conference is committed to emphasizing the core value at the heart of competition—good sportsmanship. The Mountain West’s innovative Sportsmanship Initiative is the centerpiece of a comprehensive campaign designed to develop an environment that fosters appropriate behavior from all Conference constituencies.
In 2011, this effort was spearheaded by a series of 27 cross-channel and in-venue sportsmanship PSAs, customized for each member institution. Produced by Loma Media, the spots featured on-camera appearances by the Conference’s football and basketball head coaches supported by action footage in a contemporary “mixed media” design. The football versions also featured stars from each institution, including MW Offensive Player of the Year, Kellen Moore of Boise State, and MW Defensive Player of the Year, Tank Carder of TCU.
“All-Star” versions, comprised of the top personalities from across the Mountain West, were created for national and regional in-game broadcast. The integrated campaign was branded as “Sportsmanship Is the Heart of the Game” to emphasize the critical role that sportsmanship plays both on and off the field.
The sportsmanship campaign was but one part of a full array of services provided by Loma Media in support of the most comprehensive branding and outreach initiative in league history. As the basis for this initiative, Loma Media solicited the opinions of more than 8,000 constituents including members of the Mountain West Board of Directors, athletic administrators, coaches, fans and members of the media. Loma Media has also provided the conference with an upgrade to its advertising and outreach strategies, employing an NFL Films-style look and feel to the Conference’s television, radio and print campaigns.
