'47 Brand Stands By NFL, Launches New 'Let Your You Out' Campaign
- by Larissa Faw , September 19, 2014
Although
many are questioning whether advertisers should continue to be affiliated with the NFL, the simple truth is that many campaigns have been purchased and planned well before any hint of controversy. And
it is very difficult to alter those decisions.
This is the circumstance for sports lifestyle brand '47 Brand. The apparel company is intertwined with the league as it sells fashionable merchandise adorned with NFL-licensed logos and designs. Hence, even in the best of times, it would be exceedingly challenging to distance itself. That said, the brand is standing behind the league. Executives say there are no changes or modifications to its NFL relationship.
This month, '47 Brand launches the "Let Your You Out" campaign with the brand's creative agency of record, The Fantastical to support its line of NFL merchandise. League officials approved the concept before '47 Brand went to production and then they approved all final elements.
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The concept behind this multimillion-dollar campaign encourages consumers to be their true selves, promoting individuality through football fashion. The images showcase upscale and form-fitting NFL apparel and accessories worn by striking models, a notable shift from traditional league merchandise of oversized jerseys and one-size-fits-all caps.
Meanwhile, media channels were chosen based on success in previous campaigns and a greater understanding of the type of media its target consumers enjoy. To that end, magazines including Cosmopolitan, Glamour, GQ and Marie Claire are running special advertising sections showcasing NFL fashions that meld style with sports.
Since "our consumers live on social more than anywhere else and we want to engage them where they are most often," says a spokesperson, the campaign is heavily active in social media. A :60 clip as well as shorter versions run across the brand’s own digital properties. Additional content and messages will be featured on all of its social pages, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The brand is also introducing a custom image generator that will allow consumers to upload pictures, and create customized “Let Your You Out” images with product incentive giveaways throughout the campaign. This newly built Web tool will be hosted on ‘47 Brand’s Tumblr blog.
‘47 Brands has worked with The Fantastical since February of this year. The sports lifestyle brand also has licensed partnerships with Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association, and over 650 collegiate programs.
I think that this is a fabulous way to market a brand. 47 Brand has found a unique way to promote their brand by letting people market themselves. Now day’s companies have to try and find ways in order to promote their product in an interactive way, and I could not come up with a better way then letting people express themselves. This is going to be extremely popular, it will be able to appeal to a lot of consumers, by not only allowing consumers to design their own product but express how they feel by wearing their own personal brand. I do not think that the company is going to see any negative publicity by being affiliated with the NFL, because they are also affiliated with other professional sports, and because its not just one team but the NFL as a whole that they are associated with. With Brand 47s “Let Your You Out” campaign the company has a huge opportunity to attract a large consumer group, such a females; with quality, attractive, form-fitting sports wear. Another huge group that Brand 47 would be attracting would be mothers. I feel like mothers are always looking to put their kids in something that is trendy, but yet also unique to make them stand out; what better way to market than to the moms out there who want to impress people with their children’s outfits. I think that it was very important that Brand 47 launched this campaign online, with the amount of social media today I feel that is where most people would hear about this new campaign.