“We did an ad because we wanted to really get behind this player and the movement and connect with that community. The first line of the ad was ‘Football is gay’. It went on to say, ‘Football is trans’, ‘Football is lesbian’, but then ‘Football is for everyone’.
“A lot of people were not comfortable with that ad, but it was one of the most important moments of the eight years that I’ve been with the brand because it signaled to people that we stood for something. The people who didn’t like it still continue to watch the game and engage with us, but the people of the community who saw us put that out there, were so taken back and surprised that we would do that.”
Expanding brand DNA consistently
The NFL, founded in 1920, is a sport rooted in American culture and history. Over time its expansion has set the bar for other brands to follow; “Over the past five or six years, the NFL standing its ground and remaining consistent has set it apart from not just the sporting competition, but brands globally,” believes Tamsedge.
And Ellis describes much of the brand DNA’s expansion coming from research into what needs changing and why – while staying consistent.
“We went to 10 markets, we talked to literally 1000s of people, we did qualitative and quantitative data to understand it,” he says. “What’s come out of that is potentially very powerful, and what I loved about it, when I shared all this with the owners and with our internal NFL audience is the feeling of ‘That’s us’.”
Ellis, who has the “privilege” of being on Roger Goodell’s board and is in frequent communication with him about the brand, says Goodell has always been consistent about having values that matter to its audience – particularly as its audience is bigger than a homogenous group.
“Roger and I talk every day about these things,” he adds. “Not being reactive all the time is very important because it’s when you change and begin to become reactive, that’s when I think you’re most vulnerable as a brand.”
Dentsu and the NFL had some “difficult conversations” between them too, admits Tamsedge, as they tow the line of what the future looks like for the brand.
“You have been really scientific about what is applied to the business,” she outlines. “This is a new product launch job. What is this product on a global stage? Because our competitor set isn’t the same, where it sits time of day is different across markets, you’re up against other entertainment, but you’re up against experiences.”
Understanding which parts of American culture the world can relate to – and that the brand can expand upon, is going to be key, according to Ellis.
“What Americans may see as American swagger, people outside the country may see them as arrogant bastards,” he jokes. “If you don’t express it the right way, it’s really off-putting and potentially alienating. Understanding what aspects of American culture are going to help connect and really lean in to this is really important.”