Usually, making it on ESPN’s SportsCenter is a highlight of any athlete’s career, but every now and then, they end up on the highlight reel for something that went very, very wrong.
Those moments form the focus of a new campaign for ESPN’s flagship series, SportsCenter, by ad agency Droga5. The campaign’s title, “That’s Gonna Be On SportsCenter,” draws from a sportscaster catch-phrase that goes back years.
“Whether it’s a memorable play or an infamous fumble, making it to highlight status on SportsCenter is a badge of honor,” said Wanda Young, SVP of marketing and consumer engagement, ESPN, in a statement. “That’s Gonna be on SportsCenter is an aspirational phrase uttered by athletes and fans alike, and we’re shining a light on its significance with this campaign.”
Premiering Monday, Sept. 10, the multiplatform campaign will air across ESPN TV, digital and social platforms. The first television spot, “Reflection,” (above) shows a football player who is literally beating himself over a botched play, and his self-torment only increases when a ghostly Kenny Mayne shows up and tells him, “that’s gonna be on SportsCenter.”
As the player well knows — and laments — the highlight will be a part of the show’s “Not Top 10” segment, exactly where he does not want to be.
As the campaign rolls out, ESPN producers will flag “Top 10” or “Not Top 10” SportsCenter moments in real time as they happen in games, extending the campaign to actual sports programming.
Beyond the TV, fans will be able to share themed GIFs drawn from the campaign using the GIPHY app.
“We wanted to reaffirm why SportsCenter is the go-to destination for all the highlights, lowlights, and everything in between that exists in the world of the SportsCenter audience. At the end—and beginning—of the day, SportsCenter serves as the ultimate curator that sees and breaks down everything that unfolds in sports, and those highlights are paramount to that experience,” said Brandon Pierce, group creative director, Droga5, also in a statement.
That’s Gonna be on SportsCenter complements ESPN’s This is SportsCenter campaign, which launched in 1995 and includes a library of more than 400 spots.
CREDITS
Client: ESPN, SportsCenter
Agency: Droga5 NY
Creative Chairman: David Droga
Chief Creative Officer: Neil Heymann
Group Creative Director: Brandon Pierce
Art Director: David Spradlin
Copywriter: Evan Barkoff
Design Director: Mark Yoon
Designer: Erin Wilson
Senior Project Manager: Laura Rothman
Chief Creation Officer: Sally-Ann Dale
Director of Film Production: Jesse Brihn
Executive Producer, Film: Tricia Lentini Himot
Associate Producer, Film: Holly Schussler
Director of Business Affairs: Jocelyn Howard
Senior Business Affairs Manager: Kiki Powell
Producer, Print: Rose Mahan
Global Chief Strategy Officer: Jonny Bauer
Co-Head of Strategy: Harry Román-Torres
Strategy Director: Kevin DeStefan
Senior Strategist: Newman Granger
Communications Strategy Director: Michael Pignone
Communications Strategist: Emily Langham
Data Strategist: Joshua Gordon
Group Account Director: Shane Chastang
Account Director: Marissa Guerra
Account Manager: Tori Tessalone
Associate Account Manager: Melissa Pasternak
Legal Counsel: Sarah Fox
Associate Legal Counsel: Zachary Werner
Client: ESPN
President, Global Marketing & Sales: Edward Erhardt
SVP, Marketing & Consumer Engagement: Wanda Young
SVP, Marketing & Brand Solutions: Sean Hanrahan
Sr. Director Marketing Strategy: Samira Zebian
Director Marketing Strategy: Curtis Friends
Associate Marketing Manager: Amanda Marcotullio
Sr. Director Original Content & Brand Intelligence: Edwin Roman
VP, Communications: Amy Phillips
Associate Director, Media: Kimberly Hoang
Sr. Creative Director: Christopher McClure
Associate Design Director: Alex Zartman
Production Company: Arts & Sciences
Director: Mike Warzin
DOP: Ryley Brown
Managing Director: Marc Marrie
Head of Production: Ashley Rabin
Line Producer: Eric Matthew Sedorovitz
Production Supervisor: Bailey Reeves
Editorial: Exile Edit
Editor: Katie Turinski
Assistant Editor: Ling Chua
Executive Producer: Sasha Hirschfield
Head of Production: Evyn Bruce
Sr. VFX Producer: Gwynne Evans Reid
Flame/VFX Artist: Dino Tsaousis
Telecine: Company 3
Senior Colorist: Sofie Borup
Producer: Alexandra Lubrano
Sound Design: Wave Studios
Sound Designer: Aaron Reynolds
Executive Producer: Vicky Ferraro
Sound Mixing: Heard City
Mixer: Philip Loeb
Executive Producer: Gloria Pitagorsky
Tags: espn