Tim McCracken’s Post

From the always enjoyable Jason Gay: “These companies need to grow, and it makes sense that they’d explore weaponizing the one thing on television everyone still watches: the NFL. “Peacock announced 23 million people watched the game, a figure Peacock said includes those local audiences in K.C. and Miami. Peacock also claimed the game drove internet usage to a ‘single day U.S. record,’ a major claim, if it includes the afternoon two llamas escaped in Arizona and BuzzFeed asked everyone: What color is this dress? “This is our new reality.” Our reality: We missed watching it via this imperfect platform, but we wouldn’t say we missed it. Not to ruffle any feathers but we don’t pay for Peacock. It seems to be incidental on our media radar. There is enough “Law & Order” episodes free elsewhere. We Amazon Prime it, reluctantly, for other selfish reasons, but rarely dial into a Thursday night NFL - even to comisserate with Al Michaels’ angst. We already aren’t on board with Thursday night football on any front. Except Thanksgiving. Our end around: We DVR’d this Chiefs-Fins game as we noticed it re-aired on NFL Network about an hour after it ended. We could wait it out. We watched a little late Saturday. We knew the result anyway from checking the ESPN app. We got the gist of it. We slept OK. Our impulse is less impulsive days. We’ve learned so from jumping on other streaming channels for an event and eventually disconnecting that chasing entertainment. We are no-go on FOMO. The NFL perhaps needed this experiment at this moment in time to help it, and other sports, decide if it’s worth taking some of its sponsored-supported inventory to another income resource at the viewer’s expense. It’s a business. Bottom line. It’s why MLB has cherry picked games on a Friday night to go to Apple TV. Orange you glad you didn’t commit to that fruit salad yet? An NFL playoff game is kind of a bully move. And a bit ballsy. Like a 17-game season. We’re indifferent at this juncture. It’s just where sports - and it’s influential gambling partners - are steering this ATM into the next proverbial iceberg in search of getting a small group of team owners more status and power. And making it easier to place impulsive bets on when Patrick Mahomes’ helmet will break apart in the evening chill. Bully for them. (Checking today’s Bills-Steelers game, it says Buffalo -10. Is that the temp forecast at kickoff or some cryptic insight that the Dollar Bills are a betting favorite?) All and all, we’re OK they didn’t pick the Rams-Lions game as the lab rat for this streaming brain-freeze playoff experiment. Or we might have a whole other impulsive dissection on Monday AM with scalpels flying and aortas severed. The NFL didn’t completely sell itself to special interests this time. But it is moving the chains and inching forward to a freeze-out moment — pleasing the haves over the have-nots, and forcing you to decide which side you’ve invested in. For now, we’re nots.

Historical controversies surrounding the NFL are as wide as they are well known. But these past few weeks, the governing body of American Football has been at the centre of a cultural and economic frenzy for all the right reasons.   For a sport, and brand, that has been desperate for wider cultural relevance and recognition for years now – the NFL has acquired a cavalry of fans in weeks.   The first instance was one of pure luck. Taylor Swift’s reported romance with Kansas City Chief’s Travis Kelce brought an inescapable buzz to the game. ‘Swifties’ are endeared by the pop star’s enthusiasm and excitement for the game so they’re matching it, helping the NFL makes inroads with a younger and female-skewed viewership.   The second was a delightfully weird collaboration with Disney and Pixar that has to be seen to be appreciated. The NFL’s annual London game was broadcast with an alternate option for viewers to watch a fully animated, live ‘Toy Story’ broadcast from Andy’s room – made possible by camera tracking and chips in players pads.   Taking these games overseas is all about expanding the game to newer audiences, which is another reason why “Toy Story Funday Football” worked so well; aiming to grow a new generation of fans. Whilst offering a hint of nostalgia for some of the older ones too. This example highlights some key cultural brand behaviours that Eleanor Sullivan shared with Ford Motor Company earlier this week in a chat about 'Brands & Cultural Relevance': relinquishing control and keep good company.

🏈 Super Bowl - By the Numbers 📊 With Super Bowl LVIII in the books and the Patrick Mahomes-lead Kansas City Chiefs winning their third Vince Lombardi trophy, let's take a moment to reflect on some of the staggering figures behind America's favorite sporting event: • 115 Million Viewers: Tuned in, making it a monumental moment in television history. • $7,000 Get-In Ticket Price: Ensuring only the most dedicated fans secure a seat. • 4 hours and 20 minutes: The telecast of ads... er... football, stretched over 4 hours, providing fans plenty of time to gamble, eat, drink and be merry • $17 Million Halftime Show: A spectacle in itself, showcasing Usher, Alicia Keys, Lil Jon, Ludacris, Jermaine Durpis and H.E.R. • $7 Million 30-Second Commercials: Advertisers vying for viewers' attention during breaks. • $600 Million in Ad Revenue for CBS: A testament to the event's unmatched popularity. • 1,000+ Private Jets and $2.5 Million Suites: Adding a touch of luxury to the game, reflecting the grandeur of the occasion. • $3,700/night rooms at Wynn: If you were looking for luxury, a basic room would have set you back that staggering amount, showcasing the premium experience associated with the Super Bowl. And, finally for the Swifties in the crowd: • 12: The number of Taylor Swift's appearances. Over those 12 times, she captivated audiences for a total of 53 seconds. From the adrenaline-pumping game to the star-studded halftime show, every aspect of this year's Las Vegas-held Super Bowl was larger than life. Did any of these numbers surprise you? Ready to tackle your financial goals with the same gusto? Let's connect over a virtual coffee and draft a winning strategy! ☕️🏆 #SuperBowl #FinancialGoals #VirtualCoffeeChat #Lawyers #WealthyLawyer #LamontWealthStrategies

🎭🌟 Transporting you into the heart of the action, this campaign playfully embraces memes and pop culture that question if the league is scripted, while showcasing the NFL as the ultimate entertainment hub – a stage where stories unfold that are crazier than fiction itself. 🎬🎙️ Step into the behind-the-scenes chaos of the "NFL 104th season table read," helmed by none other than the die-hard Detroit Lions fan, Keegan-Michael Key. The comedian kicks off by reliving last year's unbelievable moments – think the Kelce brothers rocking Super Bowl LVII, Mr. Irrelevant saving the day, and a halftime baby reveal – all of which had us hooked. 📖🎉 But hold onto your helmets, because things take a hilarious twist! The star-studded cast of players jump in with their own outrageous ideas and plot twists for the upcoming '23 season. From Metcalf's gravity-defying, no-hands, abs-only catch to Mama Kelce's cinematic romance with Jimmy Garoppolo, and even a shirtless Cousins proposing a shirts vs. skins showdown, it's a sidesplitting spectacle. As the ideas escalate, the laughs multiply, and the energy soars. "You Can't Make This Stuff Up," crafted by the brilliant minds at 72andSunny, is here to guarantee a laughter-filled extravaganza for fans across the globe, building the hype for the exhilarating 104th NFL season! Agency: 72andSunny Brand: National Football League (NFL) #YouCantMakeThisUp #NFL #NFL104thSeason ##NFLMarketing #Advertising #NFLEntertainment #Sports #NFLHype #EngagingContent #SportsEntertainment #Marketing #NFLStorytelling #BrandEngagement #AdCampaigns #LaughWithTheNFL #SeasonKickoff

The Jacksonville Jaguars/Atlanta Falcons game played at London's Wembley Stadium this past weekend was unlike any I've ever seen before. That's because I watched the "Toy Story Funday Football" simulcast on Disney+ which imagined the game Pixar-style live from "Andy's Room." Chips placed in the pads of all the athletes in the game rendered them as animations in real-time as though the action was all captured in the Toy Story universe. If it sounds kind of insane, it was. It was not perfect, but a commendable risk, incredible effort, and from my perspective, a big success. My whole family was mesmerized by it. I had company on the couch watching NFL Football which is not a common occurrence in our household. How can #FundayFootball be enhanced? By taking the #FanEngagement and #storytelling to the next level, and delighting the audience they are capturing even more in hopes to convert them to fans of the National Football League (NFL) product in all its forms. Pixar Animation Studios and The Walt Disney Company included some great narrative elements including a #DukeCaboom halftime show which was possibly the highlight of the broadcast, yet there was further they could have taken it. We got to see all the #ToyStory faves: #Woody, #Buzz, #SlinkyDog, even arch nemesis #Zurg got in on the action. But while clips interspersed within the action teased deeper involvement from the characters, there was an opportunity to better weave a standalone narrative that played alongside the game to keep the younger set (and story nerds like me) engaged on another level. Given the master storytellers involved in this project, you can expect that in the future. From an engagement perspective, you can also count on these simulcasts better connecting to and even monetizing the core audiences participating: on screen calls-to-action and purchase offers, exclusive peeks at co-branded content, and much more. The future has not fully arrived, but watching the #FundayFootball broadcast was a strong indicator that it will be here soon.

𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞: The Big Hat Phenomenon In 2019, Gabe Cooper and Sean Starner came up with a million-dollar idea that everyone initially thought was idiotic. Their idea? To create enormously large hats for sports fans. During the first 3 years, they only generated $30,000 in sales. However, their fortunes changed when Shark Tank invited them to appear on the show. There, they successfully convinced Daymond John to invest, despite their minimal sales up to that point. Their big break came 7 months later. NFL player Brian Robinson Jr. wore one of their big hats during a post-game interview and went viral. This exposure caused their sales to spike by over 2,000%. Today, they have sold over $5 million in big hats, and they've secured licensing deals with all 32 NFL teams and 40+ NCAA programs. Some of the notable teams including: • Alabama • Miami (Shoutout The U) • Wisconsin • Alabama • South Carolina • Penn State • USC So, what’s the moral of the story? Don't design for average. #sportsbiz #linkedinsports #innovation

Why am I obsessed with experiences? 😍 The NFL Jaguars / Atlanta Falcons game just happened... With an alternate version telecasted from 'Andy's Room' in the Toy Story Universe capturing animated movements through motion-capture. ESPN bringing out the goods with a new showing (with live presenters) commentating on every run, pass, score and shenangans ft. The Walt Disney Company favs Hamm, Woody, Buzz, Bo Peep and a halftime show with Duke Caboom. "Let's see how the carpet works as kicking service as Brandon knocks the extra point right through the goal blocks". 😂 I'll keep saying it. Experience is becoming THE new channel. If you're a brand, you need to start seriously looking at how you create & engage in this space. #innovation #management #experienceeconomy

What a gift from the football gods for NBCUniversal and #SundayNightFootball as it appears #TaylorSwift is making plans to attend this weekend's Chiefs/Jets game, which would be her second straight week attending an NFL game in person in support of her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs Tight End #TravisKelce. I love the story, two talented individuals at the height of their professions, both with a healthy understanding of the power of their platforms, forming a romance mega-alliance. I wish the kids the best and hope there's never any #BadBlood (sorry) between them, but let's look at it for a moment from a #SportsPartnerships lens, shall we? The best partnerships work when mutual value is created. What has this romance brought about for the parties involved, simply from a business perspective? For Taylor: She's *the* headline in the NFL discourse, America's largest weekly live mass audience, for two weeks in a row (at least), generating more free advertising/media value for herself than likely any other brand paid for this week, all during a break in the action of her world-dominating #Eras tour. Last weekend's game on Fox Corporation drew 24.3 million viewers, biggest NFL audience of the week. This doesn't even factor in the countless stories across every imaginable media outlet that's been covering the story since last weekend. Not bad. For Travis? According to the Front Office Sports story I link below, Travis enjoyed a 400% increase in his jersey sales on Fanatics week over week, 383K new Instagram followers, and the podcast he and his brother Jason Kelce do each week is #1 on Apple. Not bad! So whether this #LoveStory is music to your ears or not, you likely won't be able to #ShakeItOff while watching games this weekend. #DontBlameMe for falling prey to the irresistible Taylor puns or definitely not the producers at #SundayNightFootball who will certainly take the opportunity to plaster T Swift all over your screen Sunday night every chance they can. Just lean into it and enjoy the brilliance of two audience engagement #Masterminds doing what they do best.

Well, a week in and the story won’t die. I shared my thoughts about the debacle at United Talent Agency and their mishandling of the MediaLink situation with Emily Smith at TheWrap. Firing Michael Kassan, whatever the rationale, is akin to buying a new Ferrari from the dealership and ripping out the engine. What the hell were you thinking? Michael Kassan is the indispensable key to accessing the most senior levels of any client. Without him, MediaLink is #JAFA (just another f#%king agency) no matter how much UTA touts executive continuity, the access just isn’t there. In theory, UTA is in the business of managing talent that can be demanding, even petulent at times. Seems like they didn’t execute that well in this case. If UTA has a board of directors worth their salt, they are already examining how this situation was handled by their current CEO, Jeremy Zimmer, in the context of future revenues and shareholder wealth creation. I doubt it will take them long to come to the right conclusion. #integrity #leadership #vision https://lnkd.in/eHG5unnG

This year's Super Bowl ad game is rewriting the rules, and Taylor Swift is leading the charge. Forget traditional athletes and movie stars – brands are leveraging unexpected partnerships to grab attention. Here's the lowdown: - Swift's association with NFL star Travis Kelce generated a whopping $331.5M brand value for the NFL and Chiefs. - Brands like e.l.f. Cosmetics, Fireball, and even American Airlines are capitalizing on the "Swift effect" with creative campaigns. - The lesson? Think outside the box! Unexpected partnerships and trending topics can spark major engagement. Agency Leaders & Marketing Mavens: How can we use this to drive client ROI? Share your insights in the comments! Source: Digiday #LeagueOfAgencies #SuperBowlAds #MarketingTrends #ThinkDifferent #GetCreative