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Dingman Draws Star Power to
Cupid’s Cup Promotion
Where marketing an event is concerned, a little star power will go a long way,
and the Smith School’s Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship has that covered with
a new promotional spot for the fourth annual Cupid’s Cup Business Competition. Sponsored
by Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank ’96, Cupid’s Cup is a high-energy event
that drew crowds of over 250 people last year, and will award $22,500 in prizes
on April 17 this year.
In an effort to ratchet the popular event up yet another notch, Dingman Center
Managing Director Asher Epstein decided to connect with more of the Terp Nation
when he asked Plank to appear in a promotional commercial to air during men’s and
women’s basketball season at the Comcast Center. Plank did one better – he pledged
his time for a cameo, and then offered up the seasoned acting services of his good
friend, and the face of Under Armour, fellow Terp Eric “Big E” Ogbogu.
Scripted, casted and produced completely in-house at the university, the spot
follows six Smith students as they engage in rigorous athletic training to prepare
for the business competition. Big E takes up the whistle as the business-athletes’
coach, a role he’s used to playing in Under Armour’s own advertising campaigns.
He kept the students motivated through their training exercises on-camera, and kept
them engaged throughout the daylong shoot and the multiple takes that went in to
the 30- and 45-second versions of the commercial.
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