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.”
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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.