The Situation: ESPN came to us with a big opportunity. To launch a new campaign for the brand. Not just another ‘we love sports’ campaign but one that helps mark a brand transition from tradition to innovation. To help them plant their flag in the ground, and show the world that they’re more than a TV channel. Way more. Oh, and they asked us to do it fast. Like 6 weeks fast.

The Brief: Show the world ESPN is the most innovative brand in sports. Bar none.

The Objectives: Redefine our role in fans’ sports-watching experience. Celebrate our recent innovations. Reach a whole new generation of internet-first sports fans. Renew our vows as a brand and make the E in Entertainment Sports Network our top priority. Get people excited about what’s next for our brand as we move into 2024 and beyond.

This film explored the feeling of wonder felt by sports fans as they consume sports via the many different tentacles of ESPN. We follow a news story as it’s heard, shared by friends, and then reverberates through the sports world.

We’re taken on a wild ride in and out of the different pockets of the ESPN universe. All the while, we observe the memetic cycle from fan to fan, then from fan to ESPN, then ESPN to players, then players back to fans.

We see how a single moment gains momentum, takes on a life of its own, evolves into something totally new and starts something bigger. We see the worlds of fans, players, commentators and creators start to blend together. All at the same time. All on ESPN.

So sit back, relax, and watch this.

Our approach was driven by the real-life behaviors of our viewers. Our campaign launched on Christmas Day and ran across major holiday sports events like the NBA, Monday Night Football, the College Football Playoffs, and more.

Our campaign ran during one of the few times of the year when viewers from all generations gather ‘round the TV and watch sports. Our goal was to not only reach people en masse, but to open their eyes to everything else we do that isn’t live sports.

We achieved this through storytelling, strategic media placement, cultural casting, and multi-channel cross pollination. We blurred the line between TV, IRL and URL and created a portal into the universe of ESPN.

Brand recall and purchase intent went up amongst casual sports fans and avid sports fans. Our spot was seen by tens of millions of viewers and set the stage for 2024.