I really got my hopes up for Russell Athletic's latest campaign after watching this:
This spot speaks with an inspiring yet down to earth tone. It champions the pride small communities have - especially around their sports teams. It calls the viewer to look at a familiar topic in a new light, and builds a foundation for ascension by hard hit localities. It rings a similar (but unique enough) chord to the Chrysler "Imported From Detroit" effort. Oh! Sam Bayer, the popular director from those Chrysler ads, was hired to do Russell's. It makes sense. The other two TV spots in the campaign showcase similar themes with an emphasis on the rural high school football teams themselves, and the "plurality"of team. They nail the WE in the slogan wonderfully.
But then why am I so disappointed with this campaign? My conclusion is twofold. First, because Russell and its main agency, The Richards Group, can't piece together a uniform message. Second and more importantly, the value offered all but stops at the TV spots. The content is so potent, so deep, so full of potential; but the reflection by Russell is shallow.
1) "Together We R" exists beyond the tagline. You can find it on Russell's website. But the intensity doesn't ever match that in the commercials. In fact, just about everywhere you navigate on the page, the inspirational message from before is overpowered by Black Friday deals and Colt McCoy. Nothing about communities, selflessness, and unsung heroes. From there it goes downhill. There's a blog, but it simply reiterates a mishmash of ESPN stories displaying mild reference to the central message. There's a twitter account, but it almost entirely reports score updates on college football games. There's a partnership with ESPN's "Rise" TV series, but it's a weak attempt to grab some air time on a prexisting show. Readers are encouraged to "join the team" but there's little evidence of conversation or chance for engagement. The facebook page actually has a general grasp of the situation, and invites teams to nominate themselves online in a contest on the merits of their teamwork, but falls short of its potential*. All in all, the message is disjointed. The commercials by a celebrity director are a powerful foundation, but more needs to be done to ensure the message is heard.
* This sponsorship of "Rise" makes a gesture in the right direction, but what is the actual benefit Russell brings to those schools? Uniforms. Four sets of team uniforms. The facebook contest has a prize too. One team will receive a uniform scholarship. Five sets of uniforms: this is the tangible goodwill Russell shows to its audience currently.
2) Who is the target user? High school football players (Russell makes gear for many sports, but the commercials have made it clear what niche they're trying to grab). But who must Russell connect with to make this happen? Small town rural American communities. Now think about what problems small town rural America has. No, not uniform needs, real problems. Problems like high dropout rates, rampant poverty, failing infrastructure, low college education rates due to financial boundaries, homelessness, crumbling arts support, hunger, racism, forclosures... the list goes on. Suddenly uniform "needs" don't seem to important.
But Russell makes athletic gear. Shouldn't they just stick to that? It's what they're best at after all. I say absolutely not. This is a great chance for the apparel company to use its resources strategically and reach out to communities that need them most, and at the same time secure a strong foothold in a forgotten market.
Let's focus on one issue: rural communities send too few of their worthy youth to college. These small towns contain 50% less degree holding adults than urban areas, and send even fewer of their eligible high school grads to higher learning (usually because of the high price tag). For lots of aggie kids, scoring an athletic scholarship is their only way out of town. For far more, an athletic scholarship is out of the picture, and college is a mere fantasy.
"Together We R" has portions dedicated to recognizing the players that don't make the big plays, but truly make the team: the water boy who helps the guys with their math on Sundays, the team manager that makes sure the practice equipment is ready every day, the average-hitting left tackle that lifts the team's spirit when the quarterback gets carted off the field. Okay, now let's blow this up. Take half the media budget from before and invest it in a scholarship program/contest (get others to match your contribution for an augmented effect). Spend a fraction on encouraging high school students, coaches, teachers, and community members to nominate their peers on the basis of dedication and selflessness for the good of the whole. Incentivize nominations with something for the team or school, such as uniforms (not bad to keep the product present, but not the main focus). Follow up. Share their stories. Inspire the silent leaders in all of us. Tour Colt McCoy and other superstars to some of the most impoverished areas in the heartland with a message of, "Yes, you can go!" Award not one, not five, but dozens if not hundreds of in-state college scholarships to those who most demonstrated that "team is plural." Then witness these communities be touched by an apparel brand who gave opportunities to their most-deserving that would have never been available before. Watch these communities grow over time to be more prosperous and hopeful. Watch your goodwill be returned by grateful school boards, coaches, influential parents and students who recognize Russell as more than a uniform company, but as the glue and a supporter of good ol' fashioned Americana. Don't say Russel is the brand of small town rural communities. Live the brand of small town rural communities. This is but one of countless ways to look at the campaign differently. The point being: there are better ways for ad budgets to be spent than just a strong traditional campaign. When targeted at a real issue, and crafted with insight, courage, and human emotion, any brand can help make the world better, regardless of the product, and still beat the bottom line.
A traditional campaign like the current Russell "Together We R" move will probably accompany boosted sales. It's a clever and powerful message. The numbers won't even need to be framed in a particular way to show it either (numbers can be shaped to say anything), thanks to timing with the fall and holiday shopping seasons. But if it keeps at its current bearing, it will dry out and wither away. Some marketing execs at Russell will lose their jobs and a new crew will come in pledging to really "engage their customers." We'll see a new campaign next summer, or the one after. But Russell Athletic and countless other companies across all industries will fall short of their potential as long as they see the answer to their problems in advertising their brand or product. The answer to long term success is in creative problem solving - not just for themselves, but for the world around. Advertising may fall into the formula, but it is not the end-all-save-all. So whether you're a veteran marketing director, a fresh intern at a boutique agency, or an entrepreneur on her fourth business launch, I invite you to step away from the tried-and-true, and instead look for something that could really benefit from your resources. Being a responsible corporate citizen does not mean you must sacrifice profits. Constructed in the right manner, it means you will rake them in.
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