Rec sports athletes aren’t playing to go pro. They’re not showered with praise or endorsement deals. Still, they play like their lives depend on it. To recognize this unrelenting passion and dedication, a new campaign from Kellogg’s* Vector* is celebrating the glory of sports and the unsung athletes who play because they love it.
In a series of two 15-second films, we find everyday Canadians showing off their athletic prowess and love for the game, despite getting body-checked into hockey boards or “nestled in the sweet embrace of Gary’s thighs” in a rugby ruck. A voiceover waxes poetic about the absurdity of it all before concluding that sports is the reward.
“At Vector we love sports. All kinds. And we are out there to make all kinds of athletes ready for the day. Especially the unsung ones: the Rec athletes,” said Emma Eriksson, vice president, marketing and wellbeing, Kellogg Canada Inc. She adds: “The ones who get up early, stay up late for the worst ice times, who pay to be there and who's passion is fueled purely by their love for playing the game.”
“Filming the spots in slow motion allowed us to capture the feeling of playing sports,” said Steve Persico, co-CCO at Leo Burnett. “And by juxtaposing the grandiosity of the visuals with humour, it really helped ground the spots to feel more relatable, and true to our audience.” Persico notes that casting real rec-league athletes added to the campaign’s authenticity.
‘The Glory of Sports’ comes as an extension of the brand’s ongoing platform to fuel Canadians with protein, vitamins and minerals that provide the energy to help them “be ready” for sports.
The campaign launched April 3rd in online video. Strategy, creative development, and execution for the campaign was led by Leo Burnett Toronto, with production by Colossale and animation by Tonic DNA, French adaptation by Martel & Cie, and media by Starcom Mediavest Group.