Boy Coaches Spider-Man and Other Superheroes in NFL’s Motivational Ode to Mentorship
Airing during halftime, the NFL’s own Big Game ad highlighted how coaching gives the next generation of football players their own super power: self belief.
Created by agency 72andSunny LA, the rousing ad is titled ‘Champion’ and shows a young boy giving an empowering team talk to his Lombardi Trophy-calibre team – a who’s who roster of heroic toys, from Spider-Man to the Transformer Optimus Prime and Fantastic 4’s The Thing.
The spot reveals that the child is mimicking an impassioned speech given to his own football team by their coach, highlighting the impact of coaching and mentorship on the future of football. The spot closes with the line, ‘Belief is a superpower. Thank you, coaches’.
"For so many kids, volunteer coaches are the first people outside their family who truly believe in them,” said Zach Hilder, chief creative officer at 72andSunny Los Angeles. “They teach you how to push through doubt, how to trust yourself, how to keep going when things get hard. Those lessons do not end when the game does. They stay with you for life.
“With ‘Champion’, the NFL is using its biggest stage to thank these coaches. And hopefully, it reminds anyone watching the Super Bowl to reach out to the coach or mentor who once saw something in them and helped them believe in themselves."
The creative team worked with NFL partners Hasbro, Disney, Mattel, FOCO, Funko Pop, GameChangers, Sporticulture, Fanatics Authentic and Open Road Brands to bring the boy’s toy audience to life. While the NFL has previously featured star players, legends, celebrities and creators in its brand campaigns, ‘Champion’ signals a new approach. The spot doesn’t star any big names --besides the fictional ones -- and the speech itself was inspired by a real-life coaching scenario.
“Great coaches don’t just build better athletes on the field, they help inspire and build better human beings, and that impact can stay with kids for a lifetime,” said Tim Ellis, NFL chief marketing officer. “When kids are seen, recognised and believed in, it’s a superpower. That’s why we’re using our biggest platform of the year to honour the football coaches, mentors and teachers who empower future generations and strengthen communities.”
The NFL's Inspire Change platform also aired an ad at the Super Bowl this year, created by 72andSunny. Inspired by Mr. Rogers, ‘You Are Special’ features Michael Strahan, Cam Heyward, and Christian McCaffrey alongside children from Harlem Children’s Zone, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and SMASH, singing along to the iconic song 'You Are Special’.
The 30-second ad for NFL Inspire Change originally aired during Weeks 15 and 16 of the NFL season.
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