I've wondered the same sort of thing, albeit for Palmetto. (I look at that because the folks I'm often around are local to it. Besides, Dean's homework last year was all about getting folks to the competition.)
The strategy that came to mind is to hook them with the robots, then bring in the inspiration part. (Driving Ockham through the Business Administration building drew much more attention than I would ranting and raving about inspiration to a crowd.)
So, for a USC-centric advertisement, I'm imagining images of FIRST robots around campus landmarks, such as
Capstone House, the
Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center, Gambrell Hall (for which there is apparently no good image), and the
Horseshoe. The combination of the familiar (buildings on campus that 97.1293% of the student body has been in or around) and the unknown (these 130-pound robots) makes for something that draws attention. Then add in the deets, and of course "FREE ADMISSION" in somewhat large lettering. (We're college students. We appreciate free.)
(Maybe over winter break I'll be able to do some work on such things.)