Loading ...Crimson Tide Scores Marketing Touchdown with A-Day Game
First, let me offer a little disclosure. I grew up in Tuscaloosa, and bleed Crimson and White. I went to high school with Bear Bryant’s granddaughters and Ray Perkin’s son. My parents spend time with Paul, Jr., and Nick Saban’s daughter is a student where my dad teaches.
Ok, with that out of the way now, let’s look at one of the best integrated marketing communications plans ever unleashed by a college football program. And I’m not talking about the game.
New Advertising Campaign
The University of Alabama unveiled some slick new advertising during ESPN’s coverage of Saturday’s A-Day Scrimmage.
Anthony Grant
This ad’s placement was a great way to cross-promote the other great coaching hire at Alabama.
As Mr. Gump would say, “That’s all I have to say about that.”
Numbers
I haven’t found a copy of this ad on YouTube yet, but it is only a matter of time before the University posts it to their official channel. It’s that good.
Shot with similar graphic design as the Anthony Grant ad, this video features football players wearing jerseys whose numbers are significant to the tradition of the program: 96 All-Americans, 25 SEC Titles, 12 National Championships, etc. At the end, a lone graphic says “Alabama Football.”
But these ads weren’t designed for the Crimson Faithful, they target something more important.
What Alabama’s Marketing Accomplished
As I see it, there were three audiences that the University managed to reach today.
1. The Prospective Recruit
If you’re a Blue Chip prospect, today was for you. Besides the scrimmage itself, where you saw how Coach Saban works with his players, this is the impression Alabama wanted to leave with you.
- We are committed to having the best football program in the nation
- We have the resources, the leadership, and the commitment to make it happen
- When you play for Alabama, you will be love by fans
- You will compete alongside the best in the nation, against the best in the nation.
- More importantly, you have a shot at the NFL here
2. The Aspirant Recruit
The next audience was the high school sophomore, but here the message was different. It was about motivation. And this took the form of side-line conversations with NFL draft prospects.
From a public relations perspective, the sheer number of NFL-bound players from Alabama is impressive. That few of them could earn scholarships anyplace else is amazing.
The message is clear: If you work hard, you can be part of this program.
3. The Fan Base
With more than 80,000 fans attending a scrimmage today, football economics never enters a recession in the Crimson Nation. Nielsen ratings for ESPN’s coverage also should demonstrate strength for a brand that has been stagnant for the past decade and a half.
Alabama’s fan base is reveling in the “New Glory” right now. It will help motivate donors, ticket sales, and the financials that will keep the pump primed in Tuscaloosa.
Finally, a Rant: Ditch “Crimson Is…”
I fervently hope that the University of Alabama will develop more advertising in this new vein we saw today. The “Crimson Is…” campaign of the past few years reeks of amateurish self-indulgence.
The first time I saw the campaign, I honestly thought the Sports Information Department turned over their marketing to students in the School of Communication. It struck me as a low-budget attempt by a Division II school, not a major college sports franchise. It lacks authenticity.
No? Compare it to Florida’s Gator Nation.
Heck, Auburn’s ads are better.
Or am I just a little jealous?
Here are other articles I have written on this topic:
6 Responses to “Crimson Tide Scores Marketing Touchdown with A-Day Game”
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Hi Brian,
As a BAMA graduate from many moons ago, I couldn’t agree with you more about the good and bad of the ads I saw on Saturday … the good of the tenor of the content and design of the Anthony Grant and Numbers spots and the REALLY BAD, embarrassing “Crimson Is” presentation. They’ve been running that for far too long and I cringe every time I see it. It looks like two different schools. I hope they’ll heed your advice about changing that ad.
On another note, I see you’re in Chicago … Great city! I once lived there … 3400 N. Lakeshore Drive. I’m now in the Los Angeles area (MUCH Mo Betta weather) and have a daughter attending BAMA.
RTR!
Michael Brock
BFA ’68 MFA ’69
Michael,
Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. There are times that I would gladly trade Chicago for LA (especially in the winter), but overall you can keep the traffic snarls. Chicago is my kinda town.
Considering the vast improvement of the university’s marketing with the two new commercials, I would suspect that “Crimson Is” is on its way out. Each university receives one commercial per televised football game in which to promote themselves. I’d be shocked if Numbers or Anthony Grant doesn’t fly this fall. They’re too good.
Then, again, these were off-season commercials. Hopefully, UA Marketing, who created the ads in-house (Yeah for In-House!), has another trick up their sleeve when the season rolls around.
Regards,
Brian
Brian,
The Crimson Is spot that played during the A-day game was the wrong ad. That spot was revised for the Sugar Bowl, and should have been played during A-day as well. I know, because i did the edit. The original version was done by a T-town TV station i believe. I took that footage, and re-edited it, to come up with something that was better, i believe.
Here’s a link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKYO4m6n9Ws
The spots for next year are being shot now, and believe me, they will be something we can all be proud of.
Now if only we could work on the quality of the Coaches Show….
Dave,
Thanks for the clarification. I viewed the re-edit, and I think you did a great job dressing up a poor commercial. The premise behind “Crimson Is…” speaks to the converted, not those aspiring. That’s what’s wrong with the campaign.
Here are two good examples, each from UCLA.
Champions Made Here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrKFvAASpIQ
Winners Then. Winners Now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8PN7qIB87s
The new ads from UA Marketing perform at that level. Crimson Is…Doesn’t
When you say that the spots for the fall is being edited now, is UA Marketing developing something new or another in the “Crimson Is…” series?
Regards,
Brian
Actually, they are being shot now, and not by UA Marketing but by a Birmingham Ad Agency at locations around the world (Hong Kong & Chile to name but two).
It’s not Crimson Is, but a brand-new idea.