New Media Strategies recently received a feature story on Ad Age for its work with the NFL Players Association on a viral Super Bowl Ad and social media strategy dealing with potential threat of an NFL Lockout.
The article, which can be found here, outlines the vision behind the spot and the social media strategy behind it. The video is another step in a campaign that NMS has spearheaded that included a #LETUSPLAY Day, in which players blitzed social media platforms to spread NFLPA messages and join fans with additional messages like Block the Lockout.
The ad will run on TV but only as programming for the NFLPA’s sponsorship of a college all-star game on CBS Sports College Network. With the Lockout looming, the NFLPA is leveraging social media channels instead of paying millions for it to run on TV on Super Bowl Sunday. Here are quotes from the story from the NFLPA’s George Atallah and our own Pete Snyder on the Ad.
"For us, it's a simple issue: it's a lockout being threatened by the owners of American's most popular sport," said George Atallah, assistant executive director of external affairs for the Washington-based NFL Players Association. "In that context, the 'Let Us Play' message is one that is delivered not just by the players but by the fans. That's an important message to send, and we are not spending a penny to put this on the networks to send that message."
"There's no bigger conversation in all of marketing and advertising every year than the discussion around the Super Bowl ads, right? Well, our best distribution model is being able to make sure we're part of that and a sizable force in the conversation, and the best way to latch onto that conversation is through social media," said New Media Strategies CEO Pete Snyder. "It's a complex issue, yes, but at its root it's simple -- the union's side is, look, we just want to play. We fully expect the fan base to take it that way and to start talking about a lockout."
Watch the ad here below and see the Ad Age article here: