Ads stress SUNY’s role in recovery

“It’s time to put our money where our future is.”

That’s the message that New Yorkers — and especially state lawmakers and their staffs — have been getting the last few months as UUP’s annual legislative advertising campaign rolled out across New York.

The television, print and billboard ads began to appear in the Albany area in late January. They debuted in other major markets throughout the state — Binghamton, Buffalo, Long Island, Rochester and Syracuse — in early February.

Strother Duffy Strother, a media and political consulting firm based in Washington, D.C., in collaboration with the UUP communications and research/legislation departments, developed the ads. They focus on SUNY’s multiple roles as educator, job trainer, health care provider, researcher and innovator.

“The advertising campaign really supports what our volunteer lobbyists are telling lawmakers during their budget deliberations,” said UUP President William Scheuerman. “SUNY can and should play a role in the state’s economic comeback. In other words, underfunding SUNY undermines New York.”

The ads are deliberately no-nonsense; in fact, the print ads are all text and run in black and white.

“We realized that this will be a particularly challenging budget year, so we wanted to be direct and convincing,” said Scheuerman. “Nothing fancy.”

The television advertisement features real UUP members and SUNY Albany students in settings that depict some of the varied services SUNY offers the state and its citizens. Featured in large and small roles are Eric Block, Cathy Cioffi, Brian Keough, Katherine Latal, Colleen Magai, Judith Place, Patrick Romain, Latonia Spencer and Ivan Steen, all of Albany.

Scheuerman credited Albany Chapter President Candace Merbler for mobilizing the “cast” of UUPers on very short notice. She also helped arrange for the crew to tape in several different SUNY Albany locations.

“Candy was instrumental in getting this done,” Scheuerman said. “We wanted the ad to be as authentic as possible and Candy came through for her union.

“I think that, if we had given her a little more time, she could have staged an entire production of ‘Cats’ and taken it on the road for us.”

The television ad can be viewed at http://www.uupinfo.org/media.html.

— Frank Maurizio