Research shows that the most loyal National Football League (NFL) fans became engaged with the sport during their elementary school years. So the NFL turned to Atmosphere BBDO, New York, to tackle the creation of a kids’ site that would provide a gateway to all things young and fun in the NFL. The result–NFLRush.com, a new interactive Web site.
“In the past we had an NFL kids site that didn’t get the attention and resources it deserved given how critical our kids’ fan base is and how big it is,” explained Peter O’Reilly, director of marketing for the NFL.
What makes NFLRush.com so rich is that is it is more than a news site or a game site. There is a little bit of everything to keep kids on the site, whether you are a young fan who actually plays or who just wants to learn more about the NFL.
The site features various sections like the Buzz, the news portion of the site that highlights player activities and breaking stories about the league. Kids can also visit Players of the Day, where players share childhood stories and favorite things.
“It’s a place where you can come for information that makes the players more human and isn’t necessarily hard news about what’s going on on the field but brings to life the wacky, fun side of the players, which is there,” O’Reilly pointed out. “You have to remember so many of these guys are pretty young themselves.”
A different player is highlighted each day and the news is updated weekly.
“We wanted to make sure content was fresh and update it regularly to make sure kids were coming back and not being disappointed by the same old stuff,” said O’Reilly.
There’s also an arcade featuring several games like Rush to School, where kids can choose a cartoon animated version of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck or New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan to run and jump through a series of obstacles, including fire hydrants, barking dogs and bullies on their route to school.
The three players are spokesman for the 2006 NFL Take a Player to School program, one of the offerings found in the Contest section of the site. Videos of players visiting the schools of past winners are also located in that area of the site so kids can emotionally connect with what it would be like to win the contest. The Take a Player to School program has a prominent presence on the home page and was the anchor that the site was built around.
“Prioritization was probably the trickiest part,” O’Reilly said, “because there are so many different things going on on the youth side of the NFL. But we wanted to make the experience as clean and clear as possible for kids going in there.
“So the question was, How do you prioritize? What do you make the hero of the site. Then how do you build things out around it?”
Some of the other elements built around the program are Hit the Field, a portal where youngsters can find out about and sign up for NFL youth football programs in their hometown, and Boot Camp, where young fans can learn the basics of the game by rolling over different parts of the field and the different pieces of a uniform.
From a creative standpoint, the challenge was choosing a look and content for the site that would be meaningful for the age range of the audience–it had to look cool yet not too kid-like, and had to be youthful but also inspirational. The content had also had to be engaging for the target as well as educational, but in a fun way, not in the didactic talking down to kids manner.
“It seems like a specialized audience because we’re doing something for kids. But there is an age range from five to eleven. We had to find a balance that would be meaningful for a target that may vary in age and where they are in school. The look and feel were something we worked on very closely with the client to get it just right.” said Patrick Clarke, creative director at Atmosphere BBDO. ”
The client and creative team decided one of the key ways to connect with the overall age group is through customization and audio elements–kids can customize the site based on their favorite team and at the start of the season they can customize team schedules and player profiles and select their own mix of music to listen to while surfing the site through NFL Rush Radio.
“NFL Rush Radio was added at the 11th hour. But it’s another element to make it fun. Kids are already listening to music, why not have that enhance their experience when they are on the site,” Clarke said.
The site is currently being promoted through a spot for the Take the Player to School program and through partnerships online with Nickelodeon and JCPenney.
“I’m pleased with the initial response. Early traffic metrics show we’re averaging really good numbers on the site and the time that kids are spending on the site is significant,” said O’Reilly. “We’re already well over traffic numbers we had in the past.”
The creative team at Atmosphere BBDO couldn’t be more satisfied. “It’s rewarding having the opportunity to speak to a whole new audience of fans and hopefully be partially responsible for creating fans in kids who could be more engaged with the sport than they might otherwise be,” Clarke said.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More