August 17, 2026 Marketing and Communications Update
This week is the debut of our brand anthem, 2026 commercial/PSA, which will premiere nationally on Fox during the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 23. Through the message below and content packages shared, we are asking all of the channels for the colleges, schools and units to support, engage with and amplify this effort starting this week and continuing through the year.
Howdy, University MarComm Community,
This week is the debut of our brand anthem, 2026 commercial/PSA, which will premiere nationally on Fox during the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 23. Through the message below and content packages shared, we are asking all of the channels for the colleges, schools and units to support, engage with and amplify this effort starting this week and continuing through the year.
During this launch and race weekend, we will continue Texas A&M University’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the nation.
As shared in the last newsletter, our participation in the Freedom 250 Grand Prix is to share Texas A&M’s story with the nation through a strategic moment of heightened significance and relevance for our nation. As America celebrates 250 years and Texas A&M marks 150, we continue the connection our university and our nation have had for generations through service, leadership and a shared responsibility to make a difference. It is a reminder that the strength of our nation depends on people willing to show up for one another and work together for good. At the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, Texas A&M will have a primary sponsorship with Meyer Shank Racing, featuring a custom Texas A&M-branded livery, firesuit and helmet, with Indy 500 reigning champion Felix Rosenqvist.
Following this national debut, we ask that you continue to celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary through the promotion and support of the Red, White and Blue Game. Our content package is included below to help provide guidelines and assets to promote this event.
Freedom 250 Content Package
Texas A&M is taking advantage of the opportunity to bring its story of service, leadership and impact to the nation’s capital as America celebrates its 250th anniversary. D.C. provides a powerful stage for this story, a place where Aggies are serving, where decisions shaping the nation are made and where Texas A&M’s enduring commitment to the public good comes to life. As primary sponsor of the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda, driven by Indy 500 champion Felix Rosenqvist, the university will bring this story to a national audience alongside events and a public-awareness campaign throughout the week. We will add graphics and photos throughout the week for the campus community to share across their channels.
View the Freedom 250 Content Package
Red, White and Blue Game Content Package
For 150 years, Aggies have stood for the nation through leadership, courage and selfless service. This year’s Red, White and Blue Game gives the Aggie community an opportunity to carry that tradition forward while creating a permanent tribute to one of its own. Maroon Out is selling the official Red, White and Blue Game shirts, with a portion of the proceeds supporting the renovation of the Memorial Student Center’s Hall of Honor to recognize Matt Williams ’25. Williams, a retired U.S. Army Green Beret, received the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions during a 2008 mission in Afghanistan. He is the ninth Aggie to receive the nation’s highest military honor.
View the Red, White and Blue Game content package
American Caldwell Global University Visibility Rankings
The American Caldwell Global University Visibility Rankings for 2026-27 are here. Based in Washington, D.C., the Global University Visibility (GUV) rankings measure the visibility of universities in every country. The GUV rankings are a comparative measure of university brand visibility in a 12-month period.
Texas A&M ranks No. 6 in the world in American Caldwell’s latest GUV rankings, continuing a rapid rise among the world’s most visible universities.
Texas A&M ranks No. 5 among all U.S. universities, No. 2 among U.S. public universities and No. 1 overall in Texas in the 2026-27 rankings, placing Texas A&M among the world’s most talked-about, searched, visited, followed and watched institutions of higher education. The two-year trajectory is especially notable. Since 2024, Texas A&M has climbed from No. 21 to No. 6 globally, a gain of 15 spots; from No. 14 to No. 5 among U.S. universities, a gain of nine spots; and from No. 3 to No. 2 among U.S. public universities. Texas A&M has now held the No. 2 position among public universities for two consecutive years.
American Caldwell noted that Texas A&M “increased its visibility considerably,” citing significant increases in news mentions and video views. The methodology is based on third-party, publicly available indicators, including news mentions, search interest, social media following, website visitors, web references, online footprint and video views.
In this content package, you will find resources to share Texas A&M’s inclusion in the American Caldwell Global University Visibility Rankings for 2026-27.
View the American Caldwell Content Package
LiveWhale Calendar Transition
Texas A&M is transitioning from the LiveWhale calendar platform to a new calendaring solution, Localist. The anticipated completion of this transition will be before the start of the spring 2027 semester. The university is no longer providing new calendar groups or LiveWhale training for new users. More information about training and the use of the new calendar platform will be coming soon. If you have calendar feeds on your websites, please take an inventory and let the Enterprise Communications team know by emailing calendar@tamu.edu.
New Campus Aerial and Brand Visual Media Assets
Over the last year, we have been adding to our library of photos that we share with the university community. Linked below, you will find hundreds of new photos and melt reels for all of our brand photography and video styles on campus. This also includes new aerial photos of the main campus taken last month! Thank you to the teams that make these photos and videos!
Available Communities of Practice
Design Counsel
Design Counsel is a creative space for Texas A&M’s visual storytellers — a place to share ideas, spark inspiration and help shape what’s next for creativity and collaboration across the university. Each meeting dives into a new topic in marketing and communications, with lots of room to learn from one another and offer support.
The next meeting is Wednesday, Aug. 26, in Rudder 301. We will be kicking off this year of Design Counsel with the 2026-27 Texas A&M commercial, a 150th Celebration check-in and some helpful Adobe tips and tricks. Please RSVP using the link below.
For more information, please contact Melissa Loudermilk, Designer for Brand Services, at mloudermilk@tamu.edu or via Slack or Teams.
Register for upcoming meetings
Internal Communications Community of Practice
Internal communications covers a wide array of responsibilities and expectations among our faculty, staff, students and even external affiliates, and we are here to help! Join us on Wednesday, Aug. 19, from 10 to 11 a.m., as we rotate to our next key topic and offer flexibility in the second half hour to troubleshoot, answer questions and identify ways to support your needs.
This month, we will focus on matching messaging to the most effective channel, using practical examples to help you decide which platform is best for your content. Then, let us help you ensure your content is successful with a straightforward checklist that guides you away from common mistakes and helps you confidently hit publish or send.
Join the Aug. 19 Internal Communications office hours
Aggie UX Training and Support
The Division of Marketing and Communications Web team hosts virtual office hours every third Thursday from 10 to 11 a.m. These sessions include a different demo every month for using Aggie UX in Cascade, WordPress and Figma. Other practical advice for creating web content, applying best practices and using the Aggie UX design system is available on the MarComm site, including a list of on-demand online trainings. Be sure to sign up for Aggie UX-specific communications by joining the Aggie UX email list.
Research Communicators Network
The Divisions of Research and Marketing and Communications cohost a biweekly meeting for communicators to connect, share updates and collaborate around promoting Texas A&M’s research enterprise. These meetings are a valuable opportunity for everyone who attends, and we encourage you to send a representative if you do not have someone already participating from your unit, college or school.
When: Every other Tuesday, 10 a.m.
This informal virtual gathering is open to all communicators supporting research initiatives and researchers themselves. It’s a chance to ask questions, get feedback and align on research messaging across the university.
Contact Tim Doty, Assistant Vice President for National Media and Public Relations, or Rusty Cawley, Director of Research Communications, to be added to the calendar invitation.
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