NBA Looking To Extend New Global Marketing Campaign Over Multiple Seasons

The NBA is "rolling out a new global marketing campaign with the theme 'This Is Why We Play' as the league seeks to attract more general fans," according to John Lombardo of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. The league is "committed to using the tagline over multiple seasons, looking for a consistency in marketing that was seen in past campaigns such as 'I Love This Game,' which was in place" from '92-99. The new effort "replaces the league’s 'Everybody Up' campaign that was used last season." The NBA’s last marketing campaign "used over multiple seasons" was “Big,” which ran during the '12-13 and '13-14 seasons. The campaign is the "first major effort" under NBA CMO Pamela El, who joined the NBA in August '14. One of her first decisions was bringing in N.Y.-based Translation as the league’s agency of record "after working with the agency run by Steve Stoute in her prior job." The campaign "launches this week with the first of three spots, called 'Anthem.'" The second spot, "called 'Anticipation,' will begin running Oct. 22, and a third spot, called 'Joy,' will debut" during the NBA’s Oct. 27 opening night. All three of the spots, "which feature numerous NBA players and legends, will have 30- and 60-second versions." The first spot "shows a montage of NBA players as well as casual fans playing at playgrounds and schools against a voice-over backdrop of 'This Is Why We Play'" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/12 issue).