Real Reminders: Straightforward Videos from NBA/WNBA and NFL Speak Loudly, No "Sizzle" Required
I recently wrote on this blog about how the events of early 2020 had already convinced me that a stark return to real communications - from people to language to messaging - was in the cards for organizations and brands. Not only was it coming, but it was imperative for myriad reasons.
As those words and thoughts lingered in my head, I’ve taken in communications from brands and organizations related to the murder of George Floyd, the resulting protests and the broader issues related to the systemic and institutional racism plaguing our country. I watched and listened as a human, of course, but also a marketing communications professional. My personal passion for sports means I maintained a somewhat heightened awareness of those communications.
So, with fan, marketer and citizen lens, I responded to examples that shared a common theme: stripped-down simplicity. The practitioner takeaways are obvious and, to some degree, have been forever true. Nonetheless, they are strong reminders. Reminders that meaningful and thought-provoking communications from entities — be they leagues, organizations, brands or corporations — don’t require big budgets, sophisticated production or dramatic acting. They don’t rely on fancy jump cuts, slick editing or exotic shoots. Their power can (and perhaps should) reside solely with people, words and images. A direct stare into the camera. Scenes from our streets. Words carefully chosen and clearly spoken.
Here are two of those examples. The first is the video coordinated and orchestrated by two “rogue” NFL social media team members that quickly and directly led to statements from Commissioner Roger Goodell that struck a very new and necessary tone.
— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) June 5, 2020
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Earlier today, players, executives and leaders from a partnership between the Sacramento Kings and Minnesota’s Timberwolves and Lynx franchises (along with Sacramento Area Youth Speaks (SAYS), a social justice movement that transforms education), adopted a similar style and approach.
The Color of Our Skin Impacts How We Experience the World & How the World Experiences Us.
This is A Call to White People.
Team Up for Change.
🤝 @SacramentoKings X @MinnesotaLynx X SAYS ✊ pic.twitter.com/1EZQsWiEzw— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) June 9, 2020
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Shot on phones. No fancy backdrop or concocted imagery. Real people. Real words. Real clarity. You can argue much about what may come next, but these pieces rang loudly for me — and served as another relevant reminder…when, or if ever in doubt, get real.
