Leveraging the September start of the new NFL season, NFL mobile and app partner Verizon has rolled out a set of new TV commercials featuring NFL players that continue the brand’s ongoing ‘Better Matters’ campaign.
The new spots from the official wireless service provider of the NFL, which all offer some form of ‘operative metaphor’, feature two NFL players of contrasting status: the defensive superstar JJ Watt and a little knew backup Luke McCown.
Both ads continue the campaign’s ongoing ‘A Better Network As Explained By…’ approach.
The commercial featuring the Texans defensive end, player of the season and Men’s Health cover model Watt sees him keep on working hard – even when no one can see him.
(Perhaps a reference to the philosophical conundrum about whether ‘if a tree falls in the forest and no one if there, does it make a sound’?)
The spot, promoting Verizon’s 4G LTE network, is called ‘A Better Network As Explained By…JJ Watt chopping wood in the middle of the forest’.
Backup New Orleans Saints quarterback Luke McCown, not a well known sports ambassador, offers a new perspective (literally) to the smartphone experience in his two spots which focus on Verizon’s network tower backup generators.
The commercials will run during high-profile events including NFL games and college football and are being supported by online, print, digital and outdoor marketing.
In fact, Verizon’s NFL activity simply continues the brand’s existing, ongoing ‘A Better Network As Explained By’ commercial series.
This was launched as the core part of its ‘Better Matters’ idea, introduced by new lead agency Wieden & Kennedy earlier in 2015, which aims to bring to life Verizon’s pre-eminent network capability and the difference it makes in people’s lives by delivering the connections that matter to them.
The creative approach and structure of the NFL player led spots mirrors those of other recent ads such as ‘A better network as explained by a woman who is very passionate about juice’,
and ‘A better network as explained by a high school it couple’.
In addition to this NFL extension of its umbrella marketing campaign, Verizon is also rolling out further NFL-related strands.
These range from vanilla, new season content on its social media channels,
Combined, tonight’s QBs have 6 rings. Against each other? Find out: kickoff starts at 8:30 PM E on @NBC. pic.twitter.com/apzMAJKKoT
— Verizon FiOS (@VerizonFiOS) September 10, 2015
to promoting the official Verizon NFL App.
Indeed, for the new 2015/16 season there has been a major redesign of the NFL Mobile From Verizon App: which offers all NFL fans, regardless of wireless carrier, insider access to the best of the NFL, including in-game highlights, scores, analysis and more.
The resign includes simpler navigation and ‘Gameday View’ to take fans directly into a matchup/scoreboard page so they can immediately get everything they need to know for the upcoming game(s) or the latest scores, play-by-play drive chart, in-progress highlights (and for Verizon Wireless smartphone customers live video from local and primetime NFL games).
The ‘Non Gameday View’ sees the NFL Mobile from Verizon app showcase all the latest news, video, and information fans crave to stay on top of their favorite teams and players.
Verizon Wireless customers using the free-to-download NFL Mobile app on smartphones will have exclusive mobile access to live streaming video of the full slate of local Sunday games, and the Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, and Monday Night Football games as well as NFL Network – but this year, for the first time ever – included at no extra charge (see http://www.verizonwireless.com/mobile-living/inside/nfl/).
Comment
Despite the philosophy theme of the JJ Watt spot, we feel that it is the Luke McCown commercial that is more innovative and thoughtful.
It is certainly an inventive way to cut through the NFL new season campaign clutter is to leverage the lesser-known back-ups rather than the big name starters.
Especially in early September when so many current football campaigns fronted by famous starting quarterbacks: including PepsiCo’s Jo Flacco fronted ‘#PartyFail’ mockumentary, Gatorade’s ‘Sweat It To Get It’ prank virals featuring the Manning brothers and Under Armour’s Tom Brady led ‘Rule Yourself’ campaign.
After all, at the beginning of the NFL season viewers will see big name, famous, popular NFL players pitching products pretty much everywhere they look.
But a national campaign for a mainstream brand led by a relatively unknown backup player – that changes the game somewhat.
Perhaps New Orleans’ super star starting quarterback Drew Brees had better watch out – McCown is not just after his job, but also after his endorsements.
It was back in mid 2013 that Verizon committed to a reported four-year, $1bn deal to significantly expand its NFL smartphone partnership to allow streaming of all CBS and Fox in-market Sunday afternoon games to mobile phones.
Links
Verizon YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/verizon
Verizon Website:
Verizon Twitter:
https://twitter.com/verizonfios
Verizon Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/VerizonFiOS/
Verizon Google+:
https://plus.google.com/+verizon
NFL:
Wieden + Kennedy:
