• by Larissa Faw , February 20, 2015

Last year, the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10), with help from its branding agency 160over90, promoted its schools with the "Who Wants Next?" basketball-centric challenge during March Madness. 

Now, the A-10 and 160over90 are telling the next chapter in the conference's brand story, celebrating the uncompromising work ethic of its student-athletes.

"This year, we’re building on the core idea that in the Atlantic 10 Conference, it’s a 'work right, not a birthright' — something that holds true across all 21 championship sports — to show that the A-10 has great hoops and more,” said Darryl Cilli, 160over90 chief creative officer and principal.

The "Any Arena. Any Field" brand campaign documents a day in the life of A-10 student-athletes as they work hard to do it all: defend, pass, score, and graduate. "Right from the opening shot, when the alarm buzzes at 5:45am, this campaign captures the essence of our league's commitment to academic and athletic excellence,” says Brendan Quinn, creative director, 160over90. “The fast-paced clips, the tempo of the music epitomize the A-10's hard work, tenacity, fast-paced play, and unparalleled ambition to succeed in any arena, in any field.”

The campaign is designed to align with its mission, which recognizes both academic and athletic achievements. According to the NCAA’s most recent statistics, A-10 student-athletes graduate at an 89% rate — five percentage points higher than the national average. "We are proud of both our significant athletics accomplishments and the high academic marks that our student-athletes and institutions receive,” stated A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade. “This has been a powerful campaign that has extended our brand awareness across the country. It has been extremely beneficial to work with a professional agency such as 160over90 to tell our brand story.”

Three 30-second spots — “Morning,” “Practice,“ and “Big Stage” — are airing nationally this month on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, CBS Sports Network, and NBCSN, as well regionally on Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, SportsNet New York, and Fox Sports Midwest. A video is accessible here.

160over90 has been working with the Atlantic 10 Conference since September 2013.