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Fox Sports unveiled its new campaign, “Now Its a Game,” which focuses on the passion of the NFL fans, to mark the network’s first year broadcasting Thursday Night Football.
The campaign, created by Wieden+Kennedy, debuted just in time for the September 27 season kickoff, when the Minnesota Vikings take on the Los Angeles Rams. Assets include an introductory “anthem” and six key matchups.
Robert Gottlieb, executive vice president and head of marketing, Fox Sports, called the premiere of Thursday Night Football on the network a “big moment in our brand’s evolution.”
“This is year one of the broadcast on Fox, and we wanted a campaign that was distinctive to our voice, but also true to what we plan to deliver to NFL fans as the network home of this franchise.”
Award-winning filmmaker Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya) directed all the spots, which show every-day fanatics – such as a dentist, a mechanic, a taxi driver and kids on a school bus—talking up Fox’s Thursday Night Football coverage while at work and on-the-go. They’re captured mid-conversation as they talk about the upcoming games—their words woven into a film-like quality production.
The campaign also features NFL stars Jared Goff, Ndamukong Suh and Saquon Barkley along with Fox Sports’ broadcaster Joe Buck and Pro Football Hall of Fame colleagues Troy Aikman, Michael Strahan, Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long.
Throughout conversations with peers, passengers and patients, an unbridled enthusiasm for the new slate of games establishes a common theme across all the spots, while the fast-paced editing reflects the energy of Thursday Night Football, said Gillespie.
For example, in the Vikings vs. Rams promo, a dentist is performing work on a patient, while at the same time delivering a passionate speech about the game, breaking down the storyline of two David’s turned Goliaths over scene of both teams’ biggest stars.
The promo for the October 4 matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots focuses on a mechanic in an auto repair shop. As he rings up a customer, he makes small talk that turns to so much more through cuts of Tom Brady firing on all cylinders.
“We wanted to do something that felt creatively unique and different, but is also authentic to the voices of people who love the game—fans, players and broadcasters—in their everyday environments.”