ESPN has released the first ad from its new campaign, "That's Gonna Be On SportsCenter," from Droga5, N.Y., according to Doug Zanger of ADWEEK. A "botched play" from a fictional NFL player is the "fodder for the spot entitled 'Reflection.'" After "missing a tackle, he looks into a pool of water on the field and laments that he let his team, fans and even the kids down." From there, ESPN's Kenny Mayne "appears, and the player cries 'I even let Kenny Mayne down too?'" Mayne uses his "signature deadpan style to let the player know that, no, he hasn't let him down, but rather that 'that's going to be on SportsCenter.'" The spot is "clever stuff, albeit not the chortle-inducing kind of ads we've seen from ESPN over the years." What makes this "work well is the insight that there are certain moments in sports, whether exhilarating or blooper-worthy, that will make [their] way to SportsCenter." ESPN producers will "start flagging these SportsCenter-worthy moments in real time, using 'That's Gonna Be On SportsCenter' graphics to tease what make it to the show." Fans can also "get into the act with campaign-themed GIFs to share across social media." The new campaign is ESPN's "first new SportsCenter-specific campaign" since '13, when Wieden+Kennedy did work for the net (ADWEEK.com, 9/10). ESPN and Wieden+Kennedy parted ways at the end of '16 (THE DAILY).
