BECU took a creative approach to advertising in Western Washington, releasing a commercial for its University of Washington themed credit card by gathering a plethora of famous Washington alums together to sing the UW fight song, "Bow Down To Washington." Brock and Damon Huard, Nate Robinson, Danielle Lawrie and even Bill Gates Sr. get in on the action, singing and playing the song in segments. Even Kenny G, who's seen an advertising resurgence all of a sudden, makes a guest appearance.
Behold, for the first time ever, fans singing the Washington fight song without having to mumble through it.
The commercial is pure gold for the UW-WSU rivalry. Cougs have always maintained Washington alums have no idea how to sing their own fight song, with its fancy "Dardanelles" and odd structure. In addition to all the obvious differences between the two schools, the fight songs couldn't be more polar opposites.
While Washington fans are proud of the BECU commercial, WSU fans have taken to poking fun at it in typical rivalry form. What, could they not sing it all at one time? Where was the teleprompter during the commercial? You get the idea.
But on a serious note, it was a job well-done by BECU. Gathering together a who's who of famous Washington alums in an effort to pander to its customer base, Western Washington fans and alums of UW, is a smart idea, no matter how much us Washington State alums will laugh at it. If nothing else, it gets people talking, a goal of any advertiser.