Fanatics Collectibles Brings The Joy Of Collecting To Life In New Campaign with Flower Shop

Fanatics Collectibles – for its brand Topps – in partnership with New York-based agency Flower Shop, has unveiled a 60-second spot titled “Joy,” directed by Matt Aselton (Cannes Lion Grand Prix award-winning Jordan Brand “Re2pect” with Derek Jeter; also Google, Ford, PlayStation, Netflix, Audi, Delta and AT&T) – focusing on the joy of collecting and the magic of the pack. The song used is Wilco’s “Love is Everywhere (Beware).”  

This is the first brand-awareness spot in Topps’ history, and believed to be the first ad in the trading cards and collectibles industry NOT revolving around the launch of a specific product. It was conceived by Fanatics Collectibles’ CEO Mike Mahan and Andrew Goodman (VP, brand marketing) and co-written by Andrew and Al Merry, CCO of Flower Shop (43 Cannes Lions, D&AD Pencils for his work on Nike, Delta and adidas). Flower Shop was also the creative agency behind Fanatics Collectibles’ “Geaux Brady” back in December 2023 (the "what-if" Tom Brady chose baseball ad, with him as a former Montreal Expo). The director of photography was Mihai Malaimare Jr. ("The Master," "Jojo Rabbit", "Megalopolis”).

Shot in Mexico City in mid-June, “Joy” will be unveiled next week at the trading card industry’s biggest event of the year, The National Sports Card Convention, on the convention’s first full day, July 25. (In Cleveland this year.) It will hit digitally on Topps’ that day with a broadcast buy on NBC during the Olympics. It will also drop in-booth on all screens, playing throughout the event.

The ad opens on a father and son, who go to a hobby shop, buy two packs of cards together; they return home, rip them open in a shared experience…and pull a very rare Shohei Ohtani card. The son puts it in a protective sleeve, then a keepsake box. Camera focused on the box on a shelf, where we see a change in time around the box (stylistic quick cuts underlining different items around it but the box staying put). It’s taken down, but it’s now the future – where the son has become a dad, and he’s sharing the Ohtani card with his own son. “Is this the card you got with grandpa?” asks the son. “Yes.” “What is it worth?” inquires the son again. “Everything.” “Can I have it?” asks the son, hopefully. After a pause: “No…nice try.” It closes on the son handing it back to the dad, with the knowledge that, someday it will be his – but for now, a shared moment and a shared passion.

This is the third piece of major creative for the brand in the last several months: “Geaux Brady” (described above; Dec. 2023), “Origin of Greatness” (LeBron James narrating over highlights of CJ Stroud, Victor Wembanyama, Caleb Williams and Julio Rodriguez, among others; Jan. 2024).