Every year the importance of video campaigns grows bigger and its importance in online marketing is undeniable. The bar is set really high, not only in sports clubs and big brands, but also among everyone trying to incorporate strong message in their sports related video campaign.
Our top picks are genuinely various and some are not so expected. We’re looking forward to seeing what the rest of the year brings. What are your favourite sports video campaigns?
1. Freak Show
Reebok ran “Freak Show” as their 2015 Super Bowl commercial, the latest in their “Be More Human” advertising campaign. The spot acknowledges that tough fitness is a lifestyle not always understood. Its methods are intense, demanding and require real commitment. “Freak Show” is a celebration of those who have chosen to be more than they thought they could be through fitness. It is a challenge to all viewers to “Be More Human.” Reebok’s logo is now a delta, with sides representing the physical, mental and social change that can be achieved through fitness and healthy living.
2. Who Is Your No.1 Fan In Your Life?
Binghamton student-athletes thought they were sitting down to watch a video of their career highlights. What they saw instead was a heartfelt personal message from their parents. Jaehyuk “Jake” Lim took a closer look at Binghamton senior student-athletes and the strong bond they share with their parents in this video project. You can read more about it here.
3. Better For It – Inner Thoughts
Nike has called on women to get over their fear of the gym with a new campaign showing the not so great side of exercise. Campaign uses a humorous tone to encourage women to get over the insecurities that stop them working out. Along with the TV spot the sports brand is asking women to share their exercise accomplishments on social media using the hashtag #BetterForIt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzbjEMaDjrk
4. This Girl Can
Sport England has launched a marketing campaign to encourage more women to take up sport and physical exercise. The 90-second TV campaign, features normal women giving it their all, to a sound of Missy Elliott’s Get Ur Freak On. “The challenge for the campaign was to resonate with women from 14 – 40 and for our content to be endlessly adaptable, for all channels and by multiple partners,” said Sharon Jiggins, managing director of the ad agency which created this campaign, for The Guardian. “The message is clear: it doesn’t matter how you do it, the brilliant thing is that you are doing it.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyAXv4mmGhc
5. There Will Be Haters
As Mirror wrote, the video for the campaign gives a unique insight into some of the hate that footballers receive in them modern day game. From the way that they walk to the keyboard warriors on Twitter, footballers get lambasted by fans of other teams for every little thing that they do. But this entertaining video says that by having ‘haters’, they are in actual fact paying you the ultimate compliment – and big names such as Bale thrive off it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNiGSf2Sy30
If you check the comments below the videos or on any of the social media, you’ll see that these campaigns have a really positive impact on people. That ”personal touch” they give is exactly why they are on this list. As a woman in sports marketing I highly encourage more ads like Better For It and This Girl Can.
Empowering women and positive body image is finally becoming a trend and one thing is certain –Ad will do its job if it makes people love sports and themselves, more than just a product or whatever ad sells. The same goes for men. Although Jimmy Kimmel is doing the ”Tweets” thing for a few seasons now, the Adidas made a really smart move incorporating that with athletes, saying that you’ll get haters no matter if you are just a ”regular” person, A list celebrity or famous athlete.
Imperfections are okay, they make us who we are – it’s important to keep going. Any campaign which acknowledges that will for sure end up on this list.
If we missed something great, if you like some other video campaign better or if it has made an impact on you – let us know!
