SAN BRUNO, Calif. – The West Coast Conference unveiled its new 30-second public service announcement, the latest expression of the Conference’s “We Rise in the West” brand identity.
Developed in partnership with the creative studio Zookeeper, the PSA showcases the identity, values and personality of the conference in an innovative 3D-animated environment designed to capture viewers across West Coast Conference broadcasts and national television viewership.
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Introduced last year, “We Rise in the West” is grounded in four pillars that define the West Coast Conference: Regional Identity, Innovative Approach, Student-Athlete Wellness and Excellence. The new PSA brings those pillars together while celebrating the distinct character of each of the Conference’s 10 full-time member institutions.
“Our new ‘We Rise in the West’ PSA captures both the place we call home and the standard we set for ourselves,” said West Coast Conference Commissioner Stu Jackson. “It introduces audiences to the personality of the West Coast Conference, distinguishes our brand on a national stage and tells our story in a creative, authentic and refreshing way. Zookeeper understood that vision and brought it to life in something bold, cohesive and distinctly West Coast Conference.”
The collaboration was rooted in a shared ambition to rethink the look and feel of a conference PSA. The West Coast Conference and Zookeeper created something current, confident and unexpected – a forward-thinking, new-age form of content that would stand out on national broadcasts while remaining authentic to the personality of the Conference and its institutions.
The resulting pinball-inspired environment features campus landmarks, mascots, school colors and other details representing all full-time West Coast Conference institutions. The pinball becomes a basketball, moving through the world and activating each campus environment and connecting the Conference’s members under the shared “We Rise in the West” identity.
“This was such a fun project to dive into because our team was able to build a world from scratch," said Zookeeper Executive Creative Director Dave Waite. "The WCC has 10 schools with incredible campuses, mascots, colors and personalities, and we imagined how all of those pieces could live together inside one experience.”
Each element was developed to make the individual institutions immediately recognizable while ensuring they felt connected within one WCC world. Layered campus details, mascot moments and visual surprises invite viewers to watch the PSA multiple times and discover something new with each viewing.
“The basketball hits something, BOOM, something else comes alive and suddenly you're traveling into another part of the conference,” Waite said. “We wanted people to want to watch it multiple, multiple times and keep finding new things.”
The PSA will air throughout the academic year within West Coast Conference broadcasts and during nationally-televised games, in addition to appearing across the Conference’s digital platforms.
About the West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference, founded in 1952, is a premier NCAA Division I conference with a longstanding history of national competitive excellence and institutions of great academic distinction. Guided by its “We Rise in the West” identity, the conference is represented throughout the Western region’s largest cities with a pronounced coastal footprint. Conference membership is driven by championship ambition and core values of integrity, respect, collaboration, innovation, inclusiveness and the holistic well-being of its student-athletes. For more information, visit WCCsports.com and follow the West Coast Conference on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok @WCCsports.
About Zookeeper
Founded in 1999, Zookeeper is a creative studio specializing in animation, character development, mascot design, branding and world-building. Zookeeper partners with brands, organizations and entertainment properties to turn complex ideas into memorable visual experiences through character, storytelling and design.