Sports streaming service Kayo and ESPN have launched a new AR-driven campaign from Now We Collide to take even the most casual NFL fan inside the stories of the Super Bowl.
The campaign features legendary NFL quarterbacks Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Russell Wilson and uses digital, social and out of home media across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane with 2 giant street murals, located in Sydney, designed by prolific Australian graphic sports artist Lee Olsen and painted by graffiti artist Reubszz.
People can interact with the OOH posters and street murals to reveal a mobile AR experience, where they can view beautifully crafted films showcasing the incredible stories of Super Bowl triumphs from these three legends of America’s biggest sport. The campaign aims to drive emotional engagement and increase interest ahead of Super Bowl LV, which will see Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady (in his 10th Super Bowl) going head to head, which will air live on Feb 8th on ESPN on Kayo.
“ESPN on Kayo provides our audience access to some of the biggest sporting events in the world – with the Super Bowl attracting over 160 million viewers around the globe each year,” said Kayo head of social Carl Burgmann. “This year, for Super Bowl 55, we wanted to try something new and appeal to sports fans at all levels, to connect them with the moments, stories and legends of Super Bowl.”
The films, written and produced by independent creative agency Now We Collide, build on the experience gained working with ESPN on various original content initiatives and campaigns since 2016, and follows the success of their NBA series ‘The Weekly Jam’ for ESPN on Kayo.
Now We Collide chief creative officer Ryan Bodger explained: “This campaign is really exciting for us, marrying AR tech to heighten the storytelling experience to give fans an intimate moment with the superstars of the NFL, bringing their unbelievable achievements to life in an exciting new way.
“We know people emotionally connect with and share inspirational stories – especially in sports. When you see these films you can’t help but feel an emotional connection to the players and the game itself, whether you are an NFL fan or not.”
The mobile-first content strategy of the campaign recognises the consumption habits of the intended audience, with content developed for specific platforms across the campaign including digital, social media and out of home.
The campaign leverages cutting-edge WebAR technology, allowing people with a mobile device to access the AR experience directly, without having to download any third-party apps or services.
A series of social teaser videos will also drive people to the out of home AR experience and longer-form films around the NFL stars.
ESPN marketing manager ANZ Mark Porter added: “The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events on the planet. Beyond the half-time show and the spectacle that surrounds Super Bowl, there are some incredible stories that people may not know. We wanted to share these incredible Super Bowl moments and remind sports fans what makes this event so great.”
