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Two “privileged” twins sport branded Featherstone sweaters that spell “F U.” This satirical ad for CMU dropped in October as a commentary on the elitist state of higher education.

An unexpected advertisement from CMU’s Marketing and Communications Department dropped back in October. Set in a mythical higher education institution, Featherstone University, or “FU,” is a parody of the stereotypical ivy league university.

This commercial gives a metaphorical middle finger to the institution of higher education in the US. In a recent op-ed in the Colorado Sun, CMU President John Marshall wrote:

“This fictional world (Featherstone University) satirizes the absurdity of privilege-driven admissions–where who you know trumps who you are–while spotlighting CMU’s commitment to students’ values and character over family wealth or connections.”

The commercial follows a prospective student touring FU. This student is told that at FU, they won’t have to work hard if their family donates money to the school, or if they just socialize and build a strong network.

“Why work hard? When you can just be privileged?” the leader of the tour says to the student dressed in Mavroon and gold.

This advertisement caught some mixed reviews from people when it debuted. User @pkatz2000 on YouTube commented that the ad is “[a]n offensive trafficking in stereotypes and a disservice to the diversity of American higher education.”

Another comment by @jaxtothemax312 read, “I love this so much, thank you for unmasking the university system, whoever you are!!”

The video has about 375,000 views on Youtube and a little over 1,300 likes on Instagram.

Vice President of Marketing and Communications David Ludlam said that most of the commercial was shot at a historical building in Canada to give the ad its opulent feel. The department contracted out the offsite location. However, the final six seconds were shot by students from the CMU Tech Digital Filmmaking Department.

Ludlam couldn’t give an exact amount about the cost of this advertisement but did say that the department restructured their approximately $1.65 million dollar budget to accommodate more production this fiscal year. He said they reserved about $1 million total to cover this advertisement, another FU ad that’s in the works and a CMU Tech ad called “These Hands” that was released in January.

The advertisement was vetted through a series of student focus groups. Ludlam said his department walked around campus to find random students and asked them if they were interested. The Criterion requested contact information for the students but has not yet received any information. No faculty were asked to participate in the focus groups because, as Ludlam said, “They’re not who we’re speaking to.”

There was debate over whether or not artificial intelligence was used to generate the commercial, and Ludlam said there was zero AI-generated content in the video. The fictitious university’s webpage, featherstone.university, however, is almost entirely composed of AI-generated imagery.

Ludlam and Marshall said this ad reflects an attempt for CMU to differentiate itself from other schools, because an ad like this hasn’t really been done before. It is intended to promote trust and equity in higher education, which Marshall writes has been on the decline in recent years. In his op-ed in the Colorado Sun, Marshall wrote:

“As CMU celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, it’s time for a new handshake between higher education and Colorado families—one resilient enough for the challenges ahead. We must renew the bond between hardworking dreamers and the institutions designed to fuel their ascent. CMU is uniquely equipped to lead this renewal, guided by a contrarian approach that’s already yielding results.”

Marshall also wrote that CMU is the lowest funded university in the state and has been for a few years. Ludlam clarified that it was the lowest funded per pupil. In another report from the Colorado Sun in January, it was found that Marshall broke from the pack of other higher ed institutions in the state, and refused to sign the annual funding letter to the state.

Ludlam said the FU ad is a direct reflection of Marshall’s public discourse regarding an imbalance in funding for CMU. According to CMU’s 2024-25 Operating Budget, the school received about $97.4 million dollars in “State & Local Funding.” In fiscal year 2025, that portion was roughly $50.6 million, which equates to about $4,579 per student.

The ad campaign is expected to have a part two coming soon according to Ludlam. He hinted that the FU headmaster may experience some culture shock during a visit to CMU, but that has yet to be confirmed.