NFL payments partner Visa is the latest sport sponsor to front its activation with virtual reality in the form of a behind-the-scenes series leveraging the NFL Draft.
Visa’s 360-degree documentary style films are fronted by four leading draft candidates and offer exclusive footage and insights into their own approach to the game and to their personalities.
The idea behind the campaign is provide compelling and contextual content for those football fans hungry for more information about the various stars who look set to ignite the leagu next season.
Visa partnered with VR outfit STRIVR to offer fans a ‘fly on the wall’ look at four top prospects preparing for draft day: Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson, Ohio State wide receiver Braxton Miller, Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith and Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch.
Each film, all of which are posted on Visa’s YouTube channel, tells each player’s own story and offers an exclusive insight to their character and skill set.
For example, Lawson (while training) talks about dedicating his football career to his dad who dies when he was 12,
while Miller outlines his game transition from quarterback to wide receiver,
Jaylon Smith outlines his relationship with the game,
and Lynch aims to showcase why he just might be the best QB available in the 2016 class.
Each video is posted on Visa’s YouTube channel.
To view them in 360 on mobiles, users need to just hold handsets horizontally and press play and then look up, down, right and left and turn a 360 to benefit from the fully immersive experience.
While those with Google Cardboard can hit play and then the ‘Cardboard’ icon on the bottom right of the mobile screen, and then insert the device into the Cardboard viewer.
‘As a quarterback and leader on the field, it’s important for me to be aware of everything happening around me,’ said Lynch discussing his experience shooting VR.
‘Technology is changing the future of football and I was excited to work with Visa, a long-time NFL partner and the best in payments, to give fans an interesting look at my training and preparation for the 2016 NFL Draft, from every angle, through a 360 VR video.’
Furthermore, during the actual draft itself, for those present at the event in Chicago Visa provides fans with a set of interactive on-site activities: including VR kiosks where fans can view the films, as well as meet and greets with the four featured players and with several star players of the host own Chicago Bears.
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Each of the four short films racked up around 300,000 views apiece (with Lawson’s spot coming top of the mini table with 320,000 views) – perhaps these numbers again demonstrate that VR/360 remains more of a leading edge tactic than a mass market one.
It’s not the first time Visa has turned to VR/360 to activate its NFL rights this season: earlier ion the year it linked with Bank Of America on a virtual reality campaign and mass, in-stadium headset giveaway with the New England Patriots (see case study).
The NFL has turned its annual college draft process into a stand-alone entertainment event in itself – with tickets oversubscribed, fans queuing round the block to get into the location and watch it live and solid broadcast numbers too.
According to Nielsen, this year’s ESPN/ESPN2’s three-day broadcast of the 2016 NFL Draft ran between 28 and 30 April (including the first two nights in prime time) delivered a 2.0 US household rating and 3,020,000 viewers.
That’s slightly up from last year’s 1.9 rating and 2,931,000 viewers.
The drama, entertainment and reach ensure the league’s sponsors are sure to invest in off-season draft activation campaigns.
For example, in addition to Visa’s campaign, another interesting 2016 draft activation came from fellow NFL partner Hyundai (see case study).
How other leagues and sports property owners around the world must wish they could do something similar in the off-season.
Links:
Visa YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/visabrand
Visa Twitter:
Visa Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Visa/?brand_redir=211718455520845
Visa Website:
NFL Draft Website
NFL Website
NFL YouTube:
NFL Now:
NFL Game Pass:
NFL Podcasts:
Fantasy Football:
http://www.nfl.com/fantasyfootball
NFL Network:
NFL Mobile App:
NFL Schedule:
NFL Tickets:
Shop NFL:
http://www.nflshop.com/source/bm-nflc…
NFL Facebook:
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