Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli: Season 3 Auditions
The 6th Annual Awards
- Best Social Media Campaign
- Best Advertisement (5 Min and Over)
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
Omaha Productions, spearheaded by NFL legend Peyton Manning, kicked off the anticipated third season of the ManningCast with a captivating and unexpected twist — a star-studded, hard-fought search for a third host.
How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?
Peyton and Eli are breaking new ground for athletes in entertainment. Part of the brothers’ charm is their organic sibling dynamic and the goofy, off-the-cuff approach to their on-screen personas. No other footballers have quite stepped into the limelight like Eli and Peyton, and this ad shows them in peak entertainer form.
Seamlessly navigating production hurdles, the ad is a testament to the savvy of Omaha’s in-house team. Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli has created an entirely new genre of sports broadcasting that breaks the mold of standard, dry analyst commentary. With headlines calling the host auditions “hilarious” and “epic,” the project did just what it set out to do— drive hype for the show’s third season. The program saw enhanced interest even in its first episode and consistently draws in over 1 million views per episode.
There has never been a smoother transition of on-the-field prowess into star power as this ad, and it’s thanks to Omaha Productions’ singular position as the industry leader that these icons were convinced to join the trailer. Ultimately, the ad campaign set a new standard for sports entertainment, firmly establishing Omaha Productions as a social, digital, and marketing powerhouse.
Objective
The ManningCast auditions campaign had a twofold mission: 1) drive national excitement for the program’s third season and 2) broaden the influence of Omaha Productions by bringing in both sports and entertainment personalities. Echoing the uplifting tone of its programming, the content aimed to humor and unite fans from across the landscape, regardless of who they root for (if they root for anyone at all).
By looking to bring in a dynamic set of personalities, the goal was to bring in something for everybody in the video. The Manningcast is a program that offers more than just straight football—so it only makes sense that the ad campaign meant to launch its third season would offer so much more than just sports.
Strategy & Execution
The 7-minute promo, crafted by Omaha’s elite team of creatives and launched by their talented digital and social teams, unfolded as a perfect mix of celebrity, comedy and athletic personality. The campaign not only heralded the return of America’s favorite NFL program for its third season but also strategically showcased Omaha Productions as a creative powerhouse capable of uniting audiences across entertainment verticals.
The project assembled an all-star lineup thanks to Head of Talent Nicole Solomowitz’s industry-savvy and guiding hand. The auditions stacked up an impressive array of 35 unique entertainment personalities, including football legends such as Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, alongside celebrities like Reese Witherspoon, Mike Tyson, and Lil Wayne.
This is a first-of-its-kind idea. This campaign transcended conventional boundaries for sports broadcasting, introducing a unique blend of sports icons and A-list celebrities into the ad space at large. With a robust social video campaign spinning off individual moments across social channels, the campaign leveraged its celebrity roster to maximum effect. The cast assembled for the promo was hand-picked to increase the ad’s reach across the digital landscape. Gen-Z viewers could see their favorite TikTokker, Livvy Dunne, while old-school football fans could catch Archie Manning in the trailer.
Organizations
- Omaha Productions
Links
Featured
- Peyton Manning
- Eli Manning
- Livvy Dunne
- Tom Brady
- Lil Wayne
Credits
Kristen Herlihy
Head of Marketing
Omaha Productions
Hannah Biondi
Director of Branded Content
Omaha Productions
Nicole Solomowitz
Head of Talent
Omaha Productions
Therese Andrews
Head of Production
Omaha Productions
DJ Gallo
Producer
Omaha Productions
Max Mirkin
Development Manager
Omaha Productions
Maura Finegan
Video Editor
Omaha Productions
Colin Campbell
Head of Development
Omaha Productions
Celebrate in NYC
Join us for the 6th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 6, 2024 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.
