‘It’s a new season. Start fresh’ is the message from Foot Locker in a light-hearted campaign leveraging the start of the new NFL season starring New York Giants Victor Cruz and Odell Beckham Jr.
The sports shoe retailer’s ‘Inner Thoughts’ spot revolves around a beginning of the season meeting between the two wide receivers and eavesdrops on their inner thoughts.
The background to the commercial is that injured star Cruz spent last season watching from the sidelines, while rookie Beckham Jr took his place and stole the spotlight with impressive performances that were widely praised by the media and the fans.
Thus, the new ad, developed with agency BBDO New York, sees them trade conversational niceties whilst a voiceover of their inner monologue shows they are really thinking something very different indeed.
The TVC ends with the line ‘Start Fresh’ (also the brand’s current NFL new season marketing hashtag) – referencing this year’s new season which kicks off on 10 September.
The national TV work was amplified digitally – fronting the retailer’s own social platforms,
Find out what @TeamVic really thinks of @OBJ_3 in our new commercial spot. #StartFresh
https://t.co/fDG4K0mQjO
— Foot Locker (@footlocker) August 19, 2015
and the creative was also used as part of the launch promotion for the brand’s new Snapchat channel.
We're launching our Snapchat today with @TeamVic. Follow us and stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/PhulTgii92
— Foot Locker (@footlocker) August 19, 2015
The campaign is the lead in a wider Foot Locker push around the start of the new season that sees social product promotion for a wide range of NFL-related footwear products – including player socks.
The return of football is upon us! Gear up with FBF #NFL Player Socks, in stores now. #Approved pic.twitter.com/0duCJzAaTT
— Foot Locker (@footlocker) August 31, 2015
The campaign was created by a BBDO New York team led by NY Chief Creative Officer Greg Hahn, executive creative directors Chris Beresford-Hill and Dan Lucey, copywriter Mike Motch, art director Austin Mankey and executive producers Anthony Curti and Angelo Ferrugia.
The account director, manager and executive (respectively) are Janelle Van Wonderen, Nick Robbins and Samuel Henderson.
Production was by O Positive Films and the spot was directed by Kenny Herzog and exec produced by Ralph Laucella and Ken Licata.
Sound was handled by Heard City and online/VFX by Smigital with graphics from Hornet Inc.
Comment
This tongue-in-cheek approach is fun and offers a humorous portrayal of how teammates feel about each other based on real-world events (that’s the injury and not the enmity).
It effectively leverages interest in the players and the league amongst fans eager for the start of the season.
The product integration into the creative, whilst obvious, is neither distracting nor intrusive.
With 2.5m views, the spot made Number 4 in Campaign’s 28 August Viral Chart and by the first week of September this number had risen to 3.5m.
Links
Footlocker YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/footlocker
Footlocker Website:
Footlocker Twitter:
https://twitter.com/footlocker
Footlocker Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/footlocker?_rdr=p
Footlocker Instagram:
https://instagram.com/footlocker/
BBDO New York:
