For the last 11 years, Southern Brand Collective has helped the Miami HEAT set the standard for intro videos within the sports and entertainment industry - and this year was no exception. It started as a “simple” idea over a brainstorming session with HEAT Executive Marketing VP Michael McCullough (a music aficionado and avid vinyl collector) who wanted to do a “Blue Note” inspired look. It became, as they do every year, the benchmark for the NBA.
After creating mood boards & designing type treatments, we enlisted the help and cred of director Gil Green - known best for his work on videos for artists like Lil Wayne, Usher, Lil Jon, Akon, Rick Ross, Drake, Flo Rida and DMX as well as TV commercials for And 1. The final stylish touches came courtesy of Wade’s own professional stylist Calyann Barnett. The result is a 1-minute intro video that doesn’t just raise the bar - it pushes team intros to a whole new level that has other teams talking and even left the seasoned director with goosebumps. “I think the first time I saw it was opening night against the Knicks,” Green said. “I think that was the first time they used the new Jumbotron with high def. I got chills from watching it. I mean 10,000 to 15,000 fans screaming their heads off is very exciting and something totally new for me.”
The fan and internal reaction was great, so we took the rich, moody Blue Note look and made collectible album covers, wallpapers and merch for HEAT fans to dig. “We like to make our guys seem larger than life,” said HEAT Executive Marketing VP Michael McCullough, “Kind of like rock stars, or in this case, cool jazz icons.”
Last season, the HEAT played good enough to turn some heads, and break some records. Good enough to have the biggest increase in individual seat sales in the NBA. They played good enough to win 43 games, good enough to make the playoffs, good enough to earn some respect and good enough to get ‘em talking.
But, good enough ain’t enough.
Click the image above to see the presentation boards for the upcoming season.
In 2008, following the season ending injury to superstar, D. Wade and the trade of Shaquille O’Neal, the HEAT limped to their worst finish in franchise history. The fickle South Florida fan base jumped off the bandwagon as fast as they had jumped on. And the question on everyone’s lips was: “why should I care about the HEAT?”
The team needed to re-energize and reconnect with their fan base and give them a reason to believe again and to take an interest. Southern Brand Collective convinced the HEAT to face the problem head-on and positioned the team behind the idea that they had something to prove.
Something To Prove.
In this precarious but hopeful position we launched a unifying, multi-platform campaign that spoke to the human element of “something to prove” in all of us. This messaging resonated not only with the HEAT faithful but it engaged the doubters in a frank and intriguing way. And it ultimately served as a rallying point for the team and the entire HEAT organization – from ticket sales to customer service.
Online we created something2prove.com - a cost-effective, fully-interactive micro-site where HEAT fans as well as doubters could sound off on HEAT happenings, post videos, comments and more. We also created a cohesive radio, TV, print and outdoor campaign that drove to the site and ultimately drove sales. We set the bar for online advertising within the sports industry with an integrated online campaign that focused on highly segmented targeting and retargeting and incorporated animated banners and google ad words to great effect. We utilized twitter, facebook and message boards to reach more HEAT fans and greatly increase the online presence of the team. We created “digital shorts” that were used as rich media ads online and ultimately distributed virally between fans. We also created additional revenue streams for the HEAT organization through custom merchandise and corporate sponsorship opportunities for fan giveaways under the “Something To Prove” umbrella. And we infused the “Something To Prove” messaging into everything from direct marketing to in-game entertainment.
Campaign Results.
The HEAT experienced the largest increase in year over year ticket sales in the NBA. And by integrating all these mediums, we created a unified brand message so powerful that it resonated even after the season ended - and resulted in a 78% Season Ticket renewal rate despite the coinciding economic downturn.
Southern Brand recently created some digital shorts for the Miami HEAT featuring rookies Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers goofing on their “new guy” status and the fact that neither suffers from a lack of self-confidence. The Chalmers spot was a spoof on D. Wade’s Robbins, IL spot for Converse and the OTB spot was just Beasley being Beasley. Originally slated for internet only, the spots ran on HEAT.com and something2prove.com and after audience response, were re-cut to run as :30’s during game broadcasts.
During the 2005-06 Season, the Miami HEAT and the NBA paid tribute to the past with a series of retro-themed games entitled “NBA Hardwood Classics Nights.” The Miami HEAT recognized the history and legacy of professional basketball in South Florida by taking on the identity of their basketball forefathers, the 1971-72 Miami Floridians of the American Basketball Association (ABA). The ABA, with it’s red, white and blue basketball, was the renegade basketball league that featured the three point shot and introduced the world to such players as Julius “Dr. J” Erving, “Iceman” George Gervin and David “Skywalker” Thompson. The Miami Floridians were know for their flamboyant uniforms, highlighted by the “only in Miami” color combination of Magenta, Orange and Black. In addition, the Floridians pioneered the concept of the female dance teams in professional basketball with the Floridians Ball Girls. The Floridians also embraced the personality of the ABA by staging wild promotions to draw fans and attention.
Southern Brand created the retro-themed campaign consisting of a team intro film, a web component, in-arena signage and game programs featuring Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade and the rest of the HEAT taking on 70’s era personas. The goal of this initiative was to sell Floridians throwback merchandise while adding to the entertainment offering of the HEAT Experience. Director: Eduardo Abon for Jellyman Film Co.
Southern Brand Collective took home the “English Broadcast Best of Show” at the Greater Miami Addy Awards for it’s television work for Brazil-based wireless “infotainment” provider blah! The three 30-second spots spearheaded a targeted North American launch for blah!, and showcased an array of authentic, memorable young characters. The spots aired alongside radio and grassroots events. Shot in just four days and entirely in South Florida, the spots introduced audiences to a series of “aliases” for blah! users of wide-ranging backgrounds. Locations ranging from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Waikiki, Hawaii “appear” thanks to superb location scouting and diligent editing by Miami-based Jellyman Film Co., who also filmed the spots. An original, acoustic musical track, created by Human - NYC, provided the backdrop.
This television spot spearheaded an effort in the early 1990’s to encourage Florida residents to visit the Florida Keys & Key West during the summer months. Still an emerging destination, the campaign helped to usher in a new era of tourism to the Florida Keys & Key West resulting in the virtual elimination of an “Off-Season” and the highest occupancy levels and room rates in the country.
Director: Louis Koerner for Big Storm. This work was created for Tinsley Advertising.
Multimedia Campaign | Created for Tinsley Advertising
Nestled between Naples and Fort Myers on Florida’s west coast, Bonita Bay offers 2,400 acres of gorgeous homes and breathtaking natural surroundings. But while Bonita Bay’s developers trumpeted the environmentally friendly aspects of its community, the public remained skeptical about any construction in an unspoiled area.
Print and television executions were created, showcasing the synthesis of natural and man-made beauty within Bonita Bay.
The campaign was a tremendous success, helping to quickly sell out all available inventory and winning a National Addy Award for Best Multimedia Campaign.
