ESPN 30

Integrated Campaign

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The "ESPN 30 Years" campaign was a complex, multi-layered brief that required the creative to "serve many masters" simultaneously. We needed to introduce ESPN's evolved global brand identity to the Australian market for the first time while celebrating the brand's 30th anniversary in the region.

Crucially, this anniversary narrative had to act as a high-impact launch vehicle for the return of two major sports codes: the NFL and the NBL. The creative needed to build immediate awareness for these upcoming seasons and drive tune-in, reminding fans that ESPN is the definitive home for both elite U.S. and local sports competitions.

I developed a high-energy creative direction that functioned as a visual bridge between three decades of heritage and a modern, high-octane future. Blending vintage broadcast aesthetics, utilising VHS and glitch effects to honor the 1995 Australian launch. Along with the sleek "focus frame" of the new global brand identity, we created a seamless transition from nostalgia to the present day. This aesthetic was unified by a premium iridescent palette designed specifically for the anniversary, applied across a tiered suite of assets that ranged from cinematic 30-second brand stories to explosive 6-second social highlights. This approach effectively celebrated the milestone while providing a high-impact platform to announce that the NFL and NBL were officially back on ESPN.

Out-Of-Home (OOH)

Static OOH: Large-format landscape and portrait layouts for high-traffic physical environments.

Digital OOH (DOOH): Over 40 unique animated and static executions tailored for metro sites across Victoria and New South Wales.

Video Assets

Hero Assets (30s): Comprehensive brand storytelling pieces produced for broadcast and digital, establishing the "Rewind" narrative and the return of the NFL/NBL.

Teaser Assets (15s): Fast-paced, modular versions of the hero creative designed for high-impact social-first engagement.

Social Cutdowns (6s): High-frequency, "explosive" highlight clips (e.g., touchdown and three-pointer plays) optimized for immediate reach and visibility on Meta, TikTok, and YouTube.

Motion Transitions: Custom motion tests and transition frames featuring VHS glitch effects and iridescent focus-frame designs.

Digital & Social Formats

Social Motion & Statics: Including 9:16, 4:5, 16:9 (Landscape): Standard format for YouTube and general digital placements.

Carousels: Narrative-driven static or motion carousel sequences for social platforms.

Web Banners: A full suite of display assets in over 10 standard sizes, including 970x250, 300x250, 728x90, and 320x50.

The campaign successfully reinforced ESPN’s position as the home of elite sport, delivering massive scale across digital and physical touchpoints.

Total Campaign Impressions: Over 12.7 million combined across Meta, TikTok, and YouTube.

Digital Reach: The campaign generated 4.7M impressions on Meta, 4.5M on YouTube, and 3.5M on TikTok.

Exceptional Engagement: The 30s hero videos achieved completion rates of over 90% on Meta, significantly exceeding platform benchmarks.

Cost Efficiency: Meta delivered ThruPlays at an exceptionally efficient average of $0.01.

Mass Visibility: The Google Display Network (GDN) provided a further 16 million impressions, acting as a high-frequency reach extension tool.

Real-World Impact: Digital OOH placements achieved high Neuro Impact Factor (NIF) scores, validating the creative's ability to capture attention in high-traffic metro environments.

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