Source: Fanatics
Will Fanatics win with #LoveNeverLoses spots?
The officially licensed sports merchandise retailer, Fanatics, launched its new advertising campaign and tagline — Love Never Loses — on last night’s broadcast of the ESPN ESPY Awards. Three videos in all were broadcast. Each was shot by customers and told a different story of how particular fans (short for fanatics) experience and show support for the sports and teams they love. The spots may not have raised storytelling to its highest level, but there seemed to be something for all types of sports fan in the spots.
“Helmets,” a video showing a young boy with his proud dad (off camera except for his hand), included the child identifying each NFL team presented to him by name. The spot elicited a collective “aw” from the three Anderson family resident females, spanning three generations, who saw the spot.
Helmets – Fanatics/YouTube
“Panthers Rap” and “Eagles Fan” were clearly intended for different consumer bases (none of those reside here) and may also connect with shoppers who love the two teams in question. The Eagles spot, for what it’s worth, elicited an “ew” instead of an “aw” when viewed here, although it should be noted that Boomer, Millennial and Gen Z females were probably not the intended target audience for that commercial.
Panthers Rap – Fanatics/YouTube
Eagles Fan – Fanatics/YouTube
A Wall Street Journal article says that Fanatics has launched its new campaign with the goal of being more closely connected to the relationships fans have with their favorite teams.
“Consumers have historically viewed us very tactically,” Chris Orton, chief marketing officer at Fanatics, told the Journal. “What we’ve been lacking is inspiration and celebration of how great it is to be a fan. We’ve always been in the background from a consumer’s expectation and experience.”
Discussion Questions
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Do you think the use of fan videos is an effective way for Fanatics to connect more deeply with sports fans? Which of the three spots do you think will be most effective in helping Fanatics achieve its branding and ultimately its sales goals?
Poll
BrainTrust
Dick Seesel
Principal, Retailing In Focus LLC
Lee Kent
Principal, Your Retail Authority, LLC
All three ads help connect the Fanatics brand name to its meaning and provide some emotional resonance. The “found footage” nature of the videos is very relatable for anybody who has found himself screaming at the TV during a football game or other event. It’s a good way for Fanatics to continue building brand awareness and site traffic without getting tied in knots trying to sell a specific product in a 30-second spot.
Every brand has (or should have) a story and this is a great way for Fanatics to share theirs. But remember, it isn’t enough to just tell your story, You also have to BE your story.
For my 2 cents.
All three videos provide a really effective connection for fans to other fans like them and therefore to the brand. The fact that these are people “like me” provides a powerful emotional hook to the brand that fans can easily relate to. It’s a real human touch. The ads get talked about as a result. That’s what a brand wants and aims for.
When the videos are genuine in appearance, whether or not they’re actually genuine, I believe they create a compelling brand message. The connection is real and I think it’s effective for the brand.