Comcast Business, an official partner of The Players Championships, takes the brand and its target C-Suite demographic out of the boardroom and onto the links in a campaign called ‘Powering Possibilities’ starring two-time major champion and 2021 ‘Comcast Business Tour Top 10’ winner Collin Morikawa.
Activating its rights package in its inaugural year as an official partner of the PGA Tour’s flagship The Players Championship, Comcast Business teamed up with agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners, the multi-channel marketing push is led by a hero TVC called ‘Impossible Shot’ which was shot on the tournament’s famous Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass and sees Morikawa and his caddie JJ find themselves faced with a seemingly impossible lie.
The pair solve their problem with a CGI-assisted amazing escape shot which sees the ball chaotically ricocheting around the course – including bouncing off a Comcast Business van.
The spot, which features cameos from a golf legend, an alligator and commentators Mike Tirico and Dan Hicks, is essentially disguised showcase of all the technologies Comcast Business powers around the tournament.
Teased socially ahead of the tournament, the flagship spot dropped on 14 March running with the copy line: “Empowering connectivity at THE PLAYERS is just the beginning – see how else Comcast Business is powering the impossible on one of golf’s biggest stages.”
Comcast Business Impossible Shot Teaser Video #1 #IWorkForComcast https://t.co/DK5Lxl9Wqk pic.twitter.com/ZSJaACJUS7
— Kimberly Smith (@KimSmith527) March 12, 2024
The spot was integrated into the tournament and its official NBC broadcast coverage alongside an on-air segment called ‘Impossible Shot of the Day’ which was part of NBC’s tournament telecast.
An impossible shot?
Not for @McIlroyRory. He made par after this incredible recovery.
(Powered by @ComcastBusiness) pic.twitter.com/Aq4BSWAV2f
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 16, 2024
Plus, in addition to logo presence, an on-course activation strand was a fan challenge tasking those attending in person to replicate some of the most storied shots from The Players’ year history as well as some of the most difficult shots happening over the four days of the 2024 tournament.
The B2B campaign primarily targets CIOs and business-technology leaders and rolled out in parallel with a series of humorous 15-second social videos featuring people who are really good at their jobs, but not so great at golf.
“The Players is one of professional golf’s most prestigious championships. This world-class event and venue provide the ideal showcase for our next-generation connectivity solutions and the perfect moment to tout our credibility as a global technology leader. It’s a great way for us to be timely and give fans content they care about. Every time an amazing moment happens, Comcast Business is helping power it.”
Comcast Business CMO Eileen Diskin
“Comcast Business’s audience isn’t watching the tournament from a boardroom.
They’re on their couch having a beer. We wanted to meet that mindset and have fun. They’re fans, and this is like a Super Bowl of golf.”
Goodby Silverstein & Partners ECD Jim Elliott
The campaign was commissioned by a team at client Comcast Business led by Chief Marketing Officer Eileen Diskin, Communications Manager Gina Incollingo, Communications Director Erica Lavoie, Communications Manager Erika Fiest, Communications Manager Matthew McAndrews and Partnerships Jake Banks.
The creative agency was Goodby Silverstein & Partners where the group working on the project included Co-Chairs Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein, Chief Creative Officer Margaret Johnson, Executive Creative Director Jim Elliott, Creative Directors Chad Leitz and Felipe Lima, Associate Creative Directors Jonathan Davis and Anthony Pagaza, Designer Emily Devery, President Leslie Barrett, Account Directors Michael Crain and Nicole Smith, Account Manager Jenn Hu, Coordinator Audrey Chen, Head Of Strategy Bonnie Wan, Communications Director Christine Chen, Research & Development Head Jane Warren, Strategy Directors Katie Coane, John Thorpe and Nick Reggars, Strategists Chelsea Bruzzone, Shneur Silverstein and Elyse Jolley, Director Of Production Jim Haight, Executive Producer Christine Oh and Producer Cindy Epps.
The sport and entertainment specialist agency working on the activation was Octagon with Managing Director Scott Seymour, Group Director Lauren Salvia Crowther and Account Executive Cylia Damerau.
Production was by Stink Films with Director Traktor and Director Pontus Lowenheim, Director Of Photography Toby Irwin, Executive Producer Greg Schultz and Producer Pete Vitale.
Post production and VFX were handled by Parliament and Royal Muster, Editorial by Arcade Edit and Music and sound by Lime Studios.
As the brand’s tournament activation got under way, Comcast Business also launched an umbrella new anthem spot titled ‘Make the World Go Round.’ This ad showcases companies that Comcast Business serves – such as Dunkin’, Chase Centre, Taco Bell and Marriott Bonvoy – and offers a different tone from the golf marketing, but a consistent message about how ‘Comcast Business is powering the world around us.
“Our audience isn’t just interested in what we do – they’re also interested in who we do it for,” added Diskin. “We support the world’s biggest brands every day. When we’re able to show our audience the incredible brands who trust and work with us, it is very powerful and compelling.”