“Welcome to the Big Time” Proclaims DraftKings
New Brand Campaign from BSSP Launches with Start of NFL Season
Edward Norton provides voiceovers for all five 30-second advertising spots
Boston, Mass., August 28, 2015 – In a new brand and advertising campaign breaking Sunday on FOX, DraftKings, a leading Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) destination, illustrates the joys of competition, sports and winning with a bold tagline, “Welcome to the Big Time.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfCm6PJuL5I&feature=youtu.be The campaign is from newly-selected marketing and advertising agency Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, which was awarded the DraftKings account following a national review.
Coinciding with the start of the NFL season, the spots differentiate and explain the DraftKings experience in the DFS category by celebrating its fans and the fact that, just like the guys on the field, they are competing to win.
Edward Norton, the three-time Academy Award nominated actor and filmmaker, provides voiceovers for the series of five initial ads, which showcase the experience of participating in DraftKings’ skill-based games, where users select new teams and players on a daily basis to win cash prizes. Vignettes highlight DraftKings participants’ passionate style of training, rituals and spike-the-ball enthusiasm for winning against the backdrop of experiencing sports in a participatory way. A second wave of ads will roll out in mid-September.
“’Welcome to the Big Time’ is the perfect anthem for the DraftKings brand on multiple levels,” said Anthony Pitts, DraftKings VP of Marketing. “The ‘big time’ speaks to a level of fan interaction that is engaging and exhilarating, in addition to prizes and money-can’t-buy experiences that only DraftKings can deliver.”
DraftKings has set itself apart in the DFS industry by expanding partnerships with major sports leagues, teams and events. Through these relationships, DraftKings creates winnable opportunities – on the field, behind the scenes and in the stands – that provide its audiences with even more ways to be part of the sports they love.
“DraftKings is the hottest brand in the DFS industry, successfully merging sports, technology and fan reverence in a single unique offering, “said Patrick Kiss, Managing Partner at BSSP. “Our challenge with this new campaign was to explain how DraftKings works and why its platform goes beyond fantasy as usual. We immediately saw leveraging how fans interact with DraftKings as the best way to tell the brand’s story.”
The launch campaign begins during NFL pre-season on Sunday, August 30 when a series of broadcast ads specific to football will air on FOX, ESPN, NBC and CBS. BSSP will also develop advertising across other media channels that initially will include out of home.
Pitts commented on BSSP as the company’s new agency, “As we begin the next chapter in our company’s growth, we need an agency that understands how to continue to grow our brand with impactful, results-focused advertising. We selected BSSP because they demonstrated a solid understanding of our community, coupled with a proven track record in creatively raising the profile of emerging brands.”
As BSSP takes over the development of advertising and marketing communications across media channels, Havas Edge – who provided outstanding strategic counsel and creative services as DraftKings’ first advertising agency – will continue as the company’s media buying agency.
About DraftKings
DraftKings, Inc. is a leading skill-based Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) gaming destination for fans in North America to compete in single-day online games for cash and prizes across the largest variety of professional and collegiate sports. DraftKings is the exclusive DFS partner of Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, NASCAR, Major League Soccer, and Ultimate Fighting Championship. Founded in 2012 by CEO Jason Robins, CRO Matt Kalish and COO Paul Liberman, DraftKings is headquartered in Boston, Mass.
About BSSP
BSSP, www.bssp.com, is a full-service marketing communications agency based in Sausalito, CA, providing services in advertising, online marketing, web development, data analytics, media strategy and buying, brand identity, design and strategic brand consulting. BSSP is one of the largest independent agencies in the West and is known for providing highly creative, fully accountable marketing solutions to a broad array of marketers including Nature Made, Priceline, MINI Cooper, HTC, Blue Shield of California, Greyhound, El Pollo Loco, Sunrun and others. Adweek named BSSP Small Agency of the Decade, and Outside magazine recognized the agency by putting it on their list of Best Places to Work in America in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Further, Forbes.com deemed BSSP "one of the top 10 agencies in the country” in 2012. BSSP is a member of Worldwide Partners, a group of 95 independent agencies around the world.
