CINCINNATI BENGALS
Integrated Campaign | Video
Claim your place in the Jungle.
CHALLENGE: The Cincinnati Bengals asked us to develop a campaign that promoted the irreplaceable experience of being at the game, in person, screaming your heads off at Paul Brown Stadium, rather than at home or at a bar. A campaign that would drive on-site attendance. That was the challenge the team gave us.
IDEA: The idea started with an insight: For players and coaches, it’s all about the game. The speed, strain and sweat, it’s 100% intense. You wallop somebody before they wallop you. But what about the fans? Shouldn’t their experience be just as intense as that of the players? (Short of walloping anyone, of course.) We needed a campaign that pulled fans from their couches and barstools, to claim their seat in The Jungle.
STORY: The Cincinnati Bengals enjoyed an era of success in the seasons between 2009 and 2013, winning their Division twice, and making the playoffs in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013. And the entire city, in addition to the team’s ownership and management, was excited about the team’s great run.
But that success did not result in increased home attendance. Surprisingly, there were many open seats at Paul Brown Stadium. Fans had to be convinced that seeing the game in person was an irreplaceable experience, unmatched by anything you could see on a tv screen.
So the Bengals decided to make a change. The team had relied upon an internal department for marketing and promotion for decades, but after an agency search, we were selected to join the Bengals team. We were the Bengals’ first-ever outside advertising agency.
Increasing home attendance was our initial assignment. So we did our research, channeled our inner linebacker, and developed “Let’s Roar,” a stop-fans-in-their-tracks rallying cry.
It was a reminder that being at a Bengals game is a unique experience that beats watching at home or a bar any time. To take our new mantra to the fans, we made high-energy TV, outdoor, digital banners, social posts and radio spots.
The creative execution featured dramatic photography of fans overlaid with slashes of orange, and strong calls-to action. There was no mistaking the mark of the tiger. We’re proud that elements of that campaign are still in use today, showing the staying power of a strong creative message.
We’re proud that our support provided the foundation for the Bengals’ 50th anniversary season.
