Source: Russell Athletics
Russell Athletic champions high school underdogs
As retailers prepare for the back-to-school rush, athletic apparel brands are hoping to win big on high school sports. But Russell Athletic’s new high school football-related advertising campaign is far afield from traditional sports marketing.
The brand has launched an integrated marketing campaign aimed, not on last year’s big winners, but at those who nearly made it. According to a press release, Russell Athletic’s “Team On” campaign and accompanying #SettleYourScore hashtag are targeted at 101 high school teams nationwide that lost a state championship by a single touchdown or less. Six of these schools are partnering with Russell Athletic.
Coaches and team members involved in the partnership appear on billboards and video advertisements, their faces shown in close-up to indicate they are “staring down” the previous year’s losses, according to the release. At the beginning of the next season, the teams will exorcise the demons of the last year by tearing down the billboards and revealing their new team mantras. The students are also being supplied with perspiration-activated practice gear that “reveals inspiration” when they sweat and will have their stories told on a brand website.
In the press release, the brand purports to be defending team sports from the “ego, hype and selfishness” of the modern era.
Whether or not the campaign does this — the students are, after all, still focused on winning the big game — it does offer a narrative arc of a team potentially overcoming the odds. And because of the focus on the eventual win, the campaign can avoid falling victim to the oft-repeated cliché about Millennials believing everyone deserves a trophy.
Cultivating brand loyalty among student athletes at the high school level is something big name apparel manufacturers are taking seriously these days. Last year The Baltimore Sun reported that Under Armour was partnering with schools in the Baltimore area to outfit high school athletes with Under Armour-branded uniforms. In response Nike, which has traditionally dominated that market, launched a high school basketball event to compete with a similar one put on by Under Armour.
Discussion Questions
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Does Russell Athletics’ focus on runner-ups and their struggles to succeed make sense as a brand strategy? Does such a campaign have the potential to put Russell Athletic on the same level as Under Armour or Nike when it comes to brand loyalty?
Poll
BrainTrust
Ian Percy
President, The Ian Percy Corporation
Adrian Weidmann
Managing Director, StoreStream Metrics, LLC
It will be successful, but not to the degree of Nike or Under Armour. It is the old Avis “We try harder.”
However, despite what they say, “the brand purports to be defending team sports from the ‘ego, hype and selfishness’ of the modern era,” it is further commercialization and hype for sports in what should be extracurricular activities at a place where education should be the primary goal.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a marketing strategy this brilliant. I’d encourage them to push it even further.
Individuals and teams who win the top prize would be meaningless except for those who didn’t. In other words it’s the “losers” who make the “winners.”
Does anyone really believe that wearing Jordan-branded shoes will make them a better basketball player? If that were even remotely true I’ve got a grandson who will look after me financially through my elder years. What a relief!
Obviously there are a LOT more players on teams who didn’t claim that single “winner” category. But for the most part, they put their heart and soul into it. Some of them had their best season ever though they didn’t make even the semi-finals. There are players who played against all odds, never expecting to be a headliner. They simply reached as high as they could. That, to me, is a lot more inspiring than watching someone blessed with almost supernatural gifts do what everyone expects them to do.
If Russell Athletic can energize everyone to reach for their highest possibilities they sure have my vote. Like I say … brilliant! As a side note, I’ve never heard of Russell Athletic, but since I need new runners …
This branding seems to make sense for Russell Athletic. Focusing on the underdog can be inspiring and stay with a person. Since they are targeting the high school market, this could resonate well with their potential customers. I don’t see this being as successful as Nike but I can see it having an impact.
The video clip is not about ego, hype or selflessness. However it does offer hope and motivate the players to work hard while focusing on the memory that haunts them. Great idea! This campaign is not going to overtake Nike immediately but has great potential to get a stronghold in those schools being targeted.
I love this ad, as rooting for the underdog is something I enjoy seeing, and it invokes the hard work ethic needed to succeed in all of us. How many times have you seen utter failure, when you thought a team was going to win and they end up losing in the last second? Or a golfer triple bogeying the last hole of a major championship, and a couple years later finding the strength to come back and win it all? This is who we are deep inside our souls, as we celebrate victory after many years of frustration. Bear in mind I’m a Cleveland sports fan (Go Cavs) so I know about this sort of stuff. Great ad, and hopefully it will help sell some gear for Russell Athletic. Thanks for sharing this.
I know. I know. Americans are suckers for underdog stories. But let’s deconstruct this a bit.
First of all, why do you suppose that well over 90 percent of eligible teams declined the opportunity to participate in the promotion? There probably are a lot of reasons, but the list is no doubt topped by the fact that being reminded of your worst, “close, but no cigar,” moment isn’t really the greatest feeling.
Next, there is the dubious claim that the campaign is ” … defending team sports from the ‘ego, hype and selfishness’ of the modern era.” Really? Is that why you are monitoring sweat to demonstrate how much harder your team works?
This is, at its heart, not a jock version of, “We try harder,” which said, in effect, “We know you’re big and bad, but we are small and plucky and coming after you.” Instead this is a, “losers to winners,” campaign that asserts that by what anthropologists refer to as “contagious magic” last season’s also-rans can become this year’s heroes. Sure rip up those images! That was the problem.
Now, to the final question. Let’s see … Nike is all about celebrating proven winners. Under Armour brand is also all about celebrating winning. Russell’s campaign is all about … um … guys that almost won.
“Coulda, shoulda, woulda,” aren’t the same thing as did.
Not really the same thing.