Fallon To Help Big Ten Network Boost Its National Profile

The Big Ten Conference is the oldest Division 1 conference in the U.S. In fact, many fans associate college sports with images of the Big Ten’s iconic brands:  Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan Wolverines, Indiana Hoosiers.

The Big Ten claims it is home to more sports than any other conference in the country. And the best way to view Big Ten games is through the conference's TV network Big Ten Network (BTN). 

Yet, while BTN has been a national brand for eight years, now BTN wants be recognized as a national network by both diehard fans and non-alumni. This month, the BTN and creative agency Fallon are partnering on a multiplatform advertising campaign, which will launch during the Big Ten Championship game Saturday, December 6. 

The campaign will consist of TV, digital, and offline elements, including four TV spots that will run on BTN. These spots will increase in January and February, with ads also appearing on Fox, FoxSports 1 and Fox Regional Sports networks. 

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There will also be digital advertising on school Web sites, in-arena signage and social media, as well as experiential marketing, including promotional items such as ‘College Sports’ tees.

This campaign needed to be original and distinctive, says Josh Combs, creative director, Fallon. "The key challenge for the creative was crafting a unique idea within the sports realm that felt fresh and magnified the 'college' in sports. We didn’t want this to be just another sports campaign. We wanted to harness the raw intensity and emotion of college sports."

This campaign is part of the brand's evolution to position itself as well-known property.

BTN and the Big Ten Conference are separate entities. While they do work closely together on many initiatives, the conference was not involved in the creation of the campaign. Nonetheless, more viewers now have broader access to BTN through cable, due to growth into national markets such as New York and D.C.

This campaign will remind sports fans, coast to coast, to tune into the network's mix of live sports and original programming. At the same time, BTN’s expansion to the East Coast is an opportunity to talk to a wider audience and to all sports fans, regardless of their college experiences. The campaign's concept is to emphasize that The Big Ten is a national brand and BTN is a national network.

Fallon has worked with BTN since August of this year.

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