The Institute launches Understanding MIT advertising campaign in Washington’s metro stations
Advertising campaign coincided with the lead up to the voting of the Big Beautiful Bill
Vivian Hir–The Tech
In late June, students reported seeing about 15 Understanding MIT ads in the Capitol South metro station in Washington. The Institute was the only advertiser in the station, and all the ads were part of the Understanding MIT advertising campaign. Ending with the phrase “this is MIT,” the ads highlighted MIT’s leading education and research, as well as the Institute’s contributions to science and technology in the U.S. One ad read, “When a university pioneers research for national defense, America leads.” In late July, additional ads were found in the Farragut West station, which is near the White House.
The Understanding MIT website launched in mid April, followed by a video titled “Imagine a world without MIT” released in May 15. The website was created in response to the Trump administration’s policies that have targeted universities, from federal research funding cuts to increased taxes on university endowment. Like the ads, the website highlighted MIT’s education that is “committed to excellence,” while emphasizing the Institute’s role in national competitiveness, defense, and scientific innovation.
The launch of the ad campaign coincided with the lead up to the U.S. Senate’s marathon voting session of the Big Beautiful Bill on July 1, a spending and tax bill that introduced many tax cuts and major cuts to federal programs such as Medicaid. The Senate narrowly passed the bill in a narrow vote of 51 to 50, and the House approved the bill in a 218 to 214 vote on July 3. The bill will increase MIT’s endowment tax rate from 1.4% to 8%, as MIT’s endowment exceeds $2 million per student.
In a written statement to The Tech, spokesperson Kimberly Allen stated that the purpose of the ads was to raise awareness about the value of MIT’s education and research to the “nation’s prosperity and security” for lawmakers in Washington. According to Allen, the ad campaign will end at the end of July.
General Sales Manager Aaron Bronson of OUTFRONT Media, the advertising company used by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, did not respond to The Tech’s request for comment by the time of publication.
Diego Temkin ’26 and Grace Zhang ’28 contributed to reporting for this article.