NFL Adds Naked and Woodhead Calliva to Super Bowl Campaign
The NFL has appointed Naked Communications and Woodhead Calliva to its agency roster as its marketing drive around the 2005 Super Bowl kicks off. Naked Communications have been briefed to provide strategic planning for the campaign that is intended to drive audience to the broadcast of Super Bowl XXXIX that will take place in Jacksonville, Florida on February 6, 2005.
Naked will provide the strategic impetus for a creative campaign that will be developed and delivered by B'lowfish, the agency responsible for the successful 'Greatest Show On Turf' campaign around the 2004 event. Naked Communications has previously worked with the NFL on its campaign to support Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003.
Entertainment and event PR specialists and celebrity management team Woodhead Calliva have been appointed to conceive and execute pre-publicity, at-event media management and post-entertainment publicity for the NFL's SuperBash II, the largest Super Bowl Party outside of the United States. Woodhead Calliva's brief will also cover management of celebrity attendance for SuperBash II.
The appointment of these agencies compliments the NFL's retention of Hill & Knowlton Sports Marketing and Sponsorship following its highly successful public relations campaigns in support of the last two Super Bowls. The roster of agencies assembled demonstrates the considerable expertise and funding that the NFL will be committing to its multi-platform campaign for Super Bowl XXXIX. The total budget for the project will be a seven figure spend.
This season, for the first time, the Super Bowl will be broadcast on ITV and this will represent the third year running that the Super Bowl will have been broadcast on a UK terrestrial platform following a gap of five years. Broadcast sponsorship agreements have already been signed with Reebok and Coors Fine Light Beer for ITV's coverage, which will also include a series of highlights shows that will cover the NFL's post-season play-offs.
Sky Sports, in its tenth year of NFL broadcasts, will also air Super Bowl live, with sponsorship by Coors Fine Light Beer.
The NFL will work closely with all agencies to build on the more than one million UK viewers that watched FIVE and Sky's coverage of Super Bowl XXXVIII in February or this year.
Following the success of Super Bowl XXXVIII, this campaign is indicative of the considerable progress made by the NFL in moving towards its objective of returning the sport of American Football in the UK to the levels of popularity enjoyed during the 80's and 90's.
Alistair Kirkwood, NFL Europe Vice-President of Planning and Development said, 'We invited a number of agencies to pitch for the Super Bowl campaign. We have been impressed by the strategies put forward by Naked as part of this process. We feel that they will provide the perfect foil for B'lowfish's creativity and both of these agencies demonstrated once again their understanding of American Football and the NFL brand. Coupled with the ongoing work carried out by Hill and Knowlton Sports Marketing and Sponsorship and the exciting appointment of entertainment specialists Woodhead Calliva, we feel that this year's appointments represent something of a dream team approach'.
John Harlow, Partner, Naked Communications said: 'We loved working with NFL on the Super Bowl GRRRR campaign in 2003 and are relishing the opportunity to create another groundbreaking, cross media strategy for 2005. The old adage that an agency is only as good as its clients certainly rings true in the NFL's case. They are a great client, in that they allow us the flexibility to seek fresh ways of communicating while recognising the need to think differently every step of the way'.
Chris Pearce, Managing Partner, B'lowfish said: 'We are overjoyed to be working again with one of the biggest and most exciting brands in the world, and look forward to producing a stunning campaign.'
Neil Hopkins, Associate Director of Hill and Knowlton Sports Marketing and Sponsorship said: 'As part of our ongoing work with the NFL in the UK, we are pleased to be involved with what is without doubt the world's biggest annual sporting event. On behalf of the NFL we will strive to fully exploit the opportunities presented by ITV's decision to broadcast Super Bowl XXXIX and the ongoing relationship with Sky'.
Sarah Woodhead, Managing Director of Woodhead Calliva comments: 'Woodhead Calliva is delighted to be embarking on such an exciting project as NFL Superbash II. We are really looking forward to the challenge of building the NFL brand in the UK through celebrity endorsement and the PR generated around this'.
For more information, please contact:
Neil Hopkins or Ben Barker
Hill & Knowlton Sports Marketing and Sponsorship
T: 0207 413 3789/ 0207 973 5984
M: 07968 716 938/ 0788 418 6909
Nhopkins@hillandknowlton.com/ bbarker@hillandknowlton.com
Or visit:
www.nfluk.com
Naked will provide the strategic impetus for a creative campaign that will be developed and delivered by B'lowfish, the agency responsible for the successful 'Greatest Show On Turf' campaign around the 2004 event. Naked Communications has previously worked with the NFL on its campaign to support Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003.
Entertainment and event PR specialists and celebrity management team Woodhead Calliva have been appointed to conceive and execute pre-publicity, at-event media management and post-entertainment publicity for the NFL's SuperBash II, the largest Super Bowl Party outside of the United States. Woodhead Calliva's brief will also cover management of celebrity attendance for SuperBash II.
The appointment of these agencies compliments the NFL's retention of Hill & Knowlton Sports Marketing and Sponsorship following its highly successful public relations campaigns in support of the last two Super Bowls. The roster of agencies assembled demonstrates the considerable expertise and funding that the NFL will be committing to its multi-platform campaign for Super Bowl XXXIX. The total budget for the project will be a seven figure spend.
This season, for the first time, the Super Bowl will be broadcast on ITV and this will represent the third year running that the Super Bowl will have been broadcast on a UK terrestrial platform following a gap of five years. Broadcast sponsorship agreements have already been signed with Reebok and Coors Fine Light Beer for ITV's coverage, which will also include a series of highlights shows that will cover the NFL's post-season play-offs.
Sky Sports, in its tenth year of NFL broadcasts, will also air Super Bowl live, with sponsorship by Coors Fine Light Beer.
The NFL will work closely with all agencies to build on the more than one million UK viewers that watched FIVE and Sky's coverage of Super Bowl XXXVIII in February or this year.
Following the success of Super Bowl XXXVIII, this campaign is indicative of the considerable progress made by the NFL in moving towards its objective of returning the sport of American Football in the UK to the levels of popularity enjoyed during the 80's and 90's.
Alistair Kirkwood, NFL Europe Vice-President of Planning and Development said, 'We invited a number of agencies to pitch for the Super Bowl campaign. We have been impressed by the strategies put forward by Naked as part of this process. We feel that they will provide the perfect foil for B'lowfish's creativity and both of these agencies demonstrated once again their understanding of American Football and the NFL brand. Coupled with the ongoing work carried out by Hill and Knowlton Sports Marketing and Sponsorship and the exciting appointment of entertainment specialists Woodhead Calliva, we feel that this year's appointments represent something of a dream team approach'.
John Harlow, Partner, Naked Communications said: 'We loved working with NFL on the Super Bowl GRRRR campaign in 2003 and are relishing the opportunity to create another groundbreaking, cross media strategy for 2005. The old adage that an agency is only as good as its clients certainly rings true in the NFL's case. They are a great client, in that they allow us the flexibility to seek fresh ways of communicating while recognising the need to think differently every step of the way'.
Chris Pearce, Managing Partner, B'lowfish said: 'We are overjoyed to be working again with one of the biggest and most exciting brands in the world, and look forward to producing a stunning campaign.'
Neil Hopkins, Associate Director of Hill and Knowlton Sports Marketing and Sponsorship said: 'As part of our ongoing work with the NFL in the UK, we are pleased to be involved with what is without doubt the world's biggest annual sporting event. On behalf of the NFL we will strive to fully exploit the opportunities presented by ITV's decision to broadcast Super Bowl XXXIX and the ongoing relationship with Sky'.
Sarah Woodhead, Managing Director of Woodhead Calliva comments: 'Woodhead Calliva is delighted to be embarking on such an exciting project as NFL Superbash II. We are really looking forward to the challenge of building the NFL brand in the UK through celebrity endorsement and the PR generated around this'.
For more information, please contact:
Neil Hopkins or Ben Barker
Hill & Knowlton Sports Marketing and Sponsorship
T: 0207 413 3789/ 0207 973 5984
M: 07968 716 938/ 0788 418 6909
Nhopkins@hillandknowlton.com/ bbarker@hillandknowlton.com
Or visit:
www.nfluk.com