The newly realigned Big East Conference has launched its first brand campaign with applications for TV, digital and in-venue.
Six different 15-second spots began airing this month on Fox and Fox Sports 1 during broadcasts of Big East basketball, which is in its second season of competition in its current form.
The campaign, termed “The Big East Way,” also is being used by the conference and its 10 schools in their social media and in their arenas during games. The spots — four featuring men’s basketball players, two with women, all actors — revolve around some attributes connected to Big East basketball, such as “Fearless” or “Relentless.”
“At the start of this, we had to ask, ‘What is the Big East?’” said Ann Wells Crandall, the league’s chief marketing officer. “We had this unbelievable opportunity to keep our name and keep the tournament at Madison Square Garden, but everything else was completely new.”
That led the Big East to hire Sterling Brands, a San Francisco-based brand consultant, to help determine the conference’s messaging and position.
Sterling’s research included focus groups, online surveys and other interviews. The feedback showed that fans identify the Big East with certain attributes, foremost among them its style of play. “Urban,” “hard-nosed,” “tough,” “physical” and “gritty” were the words Sterling associated with Big East basketball and what the creative set out to capture.
The Big East then took that brand information to a boutique agency, T & M, to begin the creative for TV, digital and in-venue.
Jim Helton oversaw the direction, sound design and editing, while Andy Lilien was director of photography.
“The nice thing is that schools can customize it,” Crandall said. “It can be ‘The Butler Way’ or ‘The Creighton Way.’ It’s broad enough that you can do a lot with it.”
The New York City-based conference intends to use the branding over multiple years. It also is the basis for social media contests like the Big East Way play of the week and play of the month, in which voters use #BigEastWay with their votes on Facebook and Twitter.
