Electronic Arts / EA SPORTS - Marketing Campaign of the Year - Entertainment & Sports

Company: Electronic Arts (EA SPORTS), Orlando, FL
Entry Submitted By:FleishmanHillard
Company Description: Electronic Arts Inc. is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. EA develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers. EA has more than 300 million registered players around the world.
Nomination Category: Marketing Campaign Categories - Industry
Nomination Sub Category: Marketing Campaign of the Year - Entertainment & Sports

Nomination Title: Pro Bowl: The Madden NFL 21 Edition Presented by Verizon

Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched: The first-ever virtual “Pro Bowl: Madden NFL 21 Edition presented by Verizon” took place on January 31, 2021. However, EA’s campaign to transform the Pro Bowl ran for 3+ months, launching on November 17, 2020.

When the NFL canceled its in-person Pro Bowl for the first time in its 60+ year run due to COVID-19 restrictions, long-time partner EA SPORTS was quick to step in with a creative solution: Transform the Pro Bowl into an all-virtual event, enabling the League to keep it on the NFL calendar. The shift empowered EA SPORTS and the NFL to inject fresh energy and entertainment into an event that had lost some of its excitement in recent years. In addition, a direct tie-in to one of the most storied gaming franchises of all time, Madden NFL, provided unique opportunities to engage an entirely new generation of young NFL fans who live on social.

EA SPORTS and the NFL met these challenges through an innovative event:
-The Pro Bowl: Madden NFL 21 Edition Presented by Verizon was the first-ever major sporting event to go entirely virtual, completely reimagined on the fields of Madden NFL 21.
-The event was live-streamed across NFL social channels, 28 NFL team Twitter accounts and Madden NFL Twitch, reigniting widespread interest in the Pro Bowl and turning the brand-new way to play into an entertaining and star-studded must-watch sports experience.
-Due to the success of the event and the continued rise of esports, EA SPORTS and the NFL’s efforts set a new precedent for virtual events and for other sports leagues, brands and partners in the future.

To build momentum over 3+ months, the team conceptualized an extended campaign to engage fans, influencers and media. This multi-phased strategy included a narrative-setting announcement of EA SPORTS and NFL collaborating to completely transform the event, the introduction of Video Game Numbers Challenge, which empowered fans to send their favorite players to the Pro Bowl by scoring touchdowns in Madden NFL and leveraging the power of celebrity by unveiling top NFL athletes and entertainers representing each team.

-Main objectives included:
-Generate mass awareness, while engaging digital natives online
-Demonstrate how the collaboration is transforming sports consumption
-Drive appointment-setting through multiple channels and beats
Secure mass tune-in with support from top talent

Top names in sports and entertainment including Deshaun Watson, Kyler Murray and Snoop Dogg competed and showcased their Madden skills. Ahead of the game, each competitor was provided with required tech including an Xbox and Bose headphones, to communicate with teammates and trash talk opponents, with producers recording all the action as players lit up the scoreboard in real time.

As part of the virtual presentation, EA SPORTS conceptualized a fully digital, mock event studio, featuring creative and multiple hi-res monitors, toggling between in-game action and pre-recorded Pro Bowl content. Charissa Thompson and Michael Strahan served as hosts, handing off the action to head-to-head matchups in 5-minute quarters of Madden 21. Pregame and halftime programming included video tributes and encouragement for teams from real-world Pro Bowl players and a Madden ratings segment with Chad Johnson and Michael Vick.

The team took a holistic, integrated approach to drive mass awareness and tune-in for the event across channels and key audiences:

-Conducted press outreach across multiple media verticals including NFL/sports, sports business, entertainment/lifestyle, and gaming/tech to generate coverage for each beat and to drive tune-in for the event, following announcements via press release and media alert
-Leveraged top talent to promote their role in the event via media interviews with Complex, The Ringer, Sports Illustrated and EXTRA, driving top-tier national media coverage and social conversation
-Partnered with streamers, including Ninja, FaZe Swagg and AustinShow, to organize and promote watch parties on Twitch, to engage a gaming-obsessed audience
-Collaborated with the NFL to cross-promote all announcements and the main event across Pro Bowl Week initiatives

The virtual Pro Bowl shattered multiple records:
-The event generated 3.5M live views and trended on Twitter in the US
-Ranked as #1 most-viewed event on digital platforms in Madden history
-Ranked as #6 highest viewed live stream in NFL YouTube history
-Fans engaged on social with 317K+ posts driven by top viral moments like Marshawn Lynch breaking his chair in excitement, and Snoop Dogg’s running commentary
-This year’s Pro Bowl also brought in younger fans to NFL Network with the re-air of the event up +36% in 18-34 viewership as compared to last year
-The campaign generated over 1,200 earned media and broadcast placements with 74.9M daily impressions for PR

The following is a brief description/list of supplemental materials included to support the Pro Bowl: The Madden NFL 21 Edition, Presented by Verizon entry:

-Pro Bowl: The Madden NFL 21 Edition livestream video, showcasing the full broadcast of the event.

-Pro Bowl: The Madden NFL 21 Edition results deck showcasing key success metrics, media and social media results throughout the entire campaign.

-In-game images of both AFC and NFC teams battling it out on the virtual fields of Madden NFL 21, alongside hosts Charissa Thompson and Michael Strahan, as well as graphics of the talent lineup and Kyler Murray as the game’s MVP.

-Multiple video files including:
Pro Bowl: The Madden NFL 21 Edition recap video
Pro Bowl: The Madden NFL 21 Edition in-game play highlights
Pro Bowl Legends Video with Chad Johnson, Michael Vick, Keyshawn Johnson and Marshawn Lynch
Pro Bowl: The Madden NFL 21 Edition sizzle reel

-The initial NFL + EA SPORTS Madden NFL partnership announcement press release.

-The Video Game Numbers Challenge homepage site.

-A secondary press release featuring Pro Bowl: The Madden NFL 21 Edition format and talent lineup.