• by Larissa Faw , April 14, 2015

The Big Ten Network (BTN) makes it official. After developing last December's national campaign to promote BTN's college sports teams, the TV network is naming Fallon Worldwide as its new agency of record. There was no formal review, and the Publicis-owned agency had worked with the BTN on a project-by-project basis since August 2014. 

First up, the two companies are introducing “First Robin of Spring” to support Big Ten Network’s coverage of Big Ten Spring Football. This new campaign includes seven TV spots airing on the Big Ten Network and its online and social channels.

“The fall college sports campaign was a huge success for the Big Ten Network,” said Erin Harvego, BTN Vice President of Marketing. “We look forward to continuing the momentum with dynamic, original creative that showcases what the Big Ten and college sports are all about. What we enjoy most about working with Fallon is the agency’s ability to present original ideas, and I think they’ve found fun and exciting ways to share our vision with our viewers.”

This relationship is designed to raise the profile of the network beyond hardcore alumni. “The network is determined to become the best network in college sports and our job at Fallon is to help it turn those dreams into a reality," says Josh Combs, creative director at Fallon. 

The BTN is a joint venture between the Big Ten Conference and Fox Networks, and although it operates independently from the Big Ten Conference, it is heavily dependent on the conference for material. To that end, the Big Ten Conference has had success this year, with the Ohio State Buckeyes winning the College Football Playoff National Championship and Wisconsin and Michigan State playing in the 2015 NCAA Final Four. "With the addition of new football coaches at Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin, BTN and Fallon will have plenty of stories to tell," the agency said.