49ers Schedule Release Video
The 49ers asked us if we were brave enough to flirt with the dystopian for their 2020 Schedule release video, and we obliged. This Westworld inspired schedule release won a Hashtag Sports Award for Best Use of Graphics or Animation.
Results
The video was widely acclaimed across social channels and news outlets. Articles discussing creative executions of schedule releases ranked it either the top of their list or as one of the top in the NFL. The schedule release was one of the highest engaged pieces in the league, feedback on social platforms and recognition in broadcast (featured on GMFB) was positive and enthusiastic.
Process
We sourced stock 3D models and considered which would be the best possible representations of the teams on the 49ers schedule. Once representations were locked in, it was a matter of staging a visually captivating scene in Cinema 4D. We took into account the sparse lighting, shallow depth of field, extreme close up framing, and very slow motion of the Westworld intro to properly replicate its eerie feel. We opted to not include times or teams in order to have it be more of an easter egg, guessing game for fans. Especially because traditionally, people will just look at the schedule that comes out in tandem that is posted alongside (or often prior to) the more fun and creative schedule release videos! So why not make it a fun guessing game for fans to match up with the schedule and laugh when they see Green Bay is a stylized piece of swiss cheese?
Strategy
The goal was to tickle the fancy of TV fans by recreating the title sequence for the trendy HBO show Westworld. We often find that tapping into the zeitgeist for schedule releases performs well with fans in certain markets! To make sure the allusion wasn't lost, we wanted to stick to the source material as faithfully as possible while swapping in objects that would serve as representations of NFL teams (e.g. a pair of cowboy boots for the Cowboys or a pirate ship for the Buccaneers).
Results
The video was widely acclaimed across social channels and news outlets. Articles discussing creative executions of schedule releases ranked it either the top of their list or as one of the top in the NFL. The schedule release was one of the highest engaged pieces in the league, feedback on social platforms and recognition in broadcast (featured on GMFB) was positive and enthusiastic.
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