Purdue University and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Eclipse Event

Why Partner With the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Eclipse? 

Purdue and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway each brought individual strengths and resources to the partnership. Purdue’s rich legacy in space and the opening of Purdue’s Indianapolis campus brought credibility and relevance to the event — including the presence of 5 members of Purdue’s Cradle of Astronauts. The IMS brought an iconic venue and a global fanbase. Both brands have a deep commitment to fueling STEM education and research that added an innovative edge to the day’s events.  

Goals

Throughout the course of this brand partnership, we focused on achieving five main outcomes:  

1. Create strategic brand relevancy alongside a timely Indianapolis community event 

2. Enhance visibility for Purdue on a local, national and international scale 

3. Increase awareness and hype for the upcoming launch of Purdue’s new campus in Indianapolis 

4. Showcase the impact of Purdue’s commitment to STEM education and scientific leadership by tapping into Purdue’s alumni network to bring expertise in space exploration to the event 

5. Create long-term brand equity for both partners that fosters brand loyalty, positive associations, goodwill and future engagement 

Preparing for the Event 

Content strategy before the event focused on ticket sales, building hype and establishing credibility — this included the Total Solar Eclipse commercial, a SEO campaign, a video with local meteorologist Angela Buchman that forecasted clear skies for the event and a Q&A video series based on common search questions.  

Continuing the Hype 

Content strategy afterward focused on showing how successful the day’s events were and continuing to capitalize on the hype of the event — this included further promotion of the “This Is Purdue” livestream and a video showcasing the success of the event.