Matt Ryan: NFL Retirement and Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor Induction

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

Atlanta Falcons campaign to celebrate the NFL retirement and Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor induction of Matt Ryan, the franchise’s greatest player ever.

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

“Give them their flowers while they can still smell them.” Matt Ryan is beloved by Atlanta Falcons fans. This campaign represents “Excellence in Engagement,” because the special relationship between Ryan and our fans was significantly represented by the innumerable, meaningful touchpoints provided for fans to experience this generational celebration of Ryan. These touchpoints ranged from intimate, IRL experiences to mass scale digital platforms that not only allowed us to dimensionalize Ryan in a way never done before, but also to deliver meaningful and impactful opportunities for Ryan’s fans to participate, regardless of relative proximity. This work will inspire and move the industry forward because there’s not a more core relationship in sports than the athlete and the fan. By telling the full story of a legendary athlete during a seminal moment in their life, not only do we do right by the athletes that make the magic, but we inspire fans both today and for the future.

Objective

Matt Ryan is the greatest Atlanta Falcons player of all time. We knew that whenever he decided to retire from the NFL, we wanted to provide the best celebratory platform possible worthy of Ryan’s significance to the Falcons organization and the Atlanta community. That goal led to two primary objectives:

1) use Ryan’s retirement as a vehicle to authentically demonstrate the significant relationship between Ryan, the Falcons organization, and the Atlanta community

2) induct Ryan into the Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor, the highest recognition that a retired player can receive from the organization.

With Ryan retiring in April 2024 during the offseason, the timing provided three significant chapters during the journey of celebrating Ryan:

1) Ryan’s retirement announcement (April 2024)

2) announcement that Ryan will be inducted into Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor (June 2024)

3) Ryan’s Ring of Honor induction (October 2024)

The plan had three primary stakeholders: Matt Ryan and his family, Falcons fans, and the broader community with emphasis on Atlanta. We implemented a multi-platform strategy that repeatedly focused on one key theme: create intimate, meaningful experiences for Ryan that could be shared at scale with the fans and community that loved him.

Strategy & Execution

The modern sports fan admires a professional athlete for their athletic skill but seeks a deeper connection by understanding the holistic person. With a football career as prolific as Matt Ryan’s, it was a welcomed challenge to build a comprehensive storytelling approach to effectively recap his playing achievements. Surrounding each of three chapters (retirement announcement, Ring of Honor announcement, Ring of Honor induction), we were able to impactfully recount Matt Ryan’s legendary career through dozens of social posts featuring highlight videos and stats, bespoke app experience, multiple editorial features, in-game video board highlight packages, and more. These touchpoints provided scalable access for our fans to celebrate Matt Ryan the player. What took the impact of this campaign to a much higher and unique level was telling the story of Matt Ryan the person in a way no one has before. In each chapter, “Dear Atlanta” video for his retirement, “What It Means to be a Falcon” video for his Ring of Honor announcement, and both the “An Evening with Matt Ryan” event and his in-game Ring of Honor induction ceremony, we created highly engaging experiences for our fans to better understand and appreciate Matt Ryan the person.

Organizations

• Atlanta Falcons

Links

• Website

Featured

• Matt Ryan - Retired NFL quarterback (Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor member)
• Tony Gonzalez - Retired NFL tight end (Pro Football Hall of Fame member)
• Harry Douglas - Retired NFL wide receiver (ESPN personality)

Credits

Larry Luk
Senior Creative Director
Atlanta Falcons

Jackson Sipes
Design Manager
Atlanta Falcons

Jack Ozmer
Sr. Graphic Designer
Atlanta Falcons

Abigail Jackson
Graphic Designer
Atlanta Falcons

Grace Eberhard
Graphic Designer
Atlanta Falcons

Josh Kluchka
Creative Operations Manager
Atlanta Falcons

Nisha Schmitt
Sr. Director, Retail
Atlanta Falcons

Shannon Joyner
Vice President, Marketing
Atlanta Falcons

Laura Lanier
Sr. Marketing Manager
Atlanta Falcons

Scott Kegley
Vice President, Digital & Production
Atlanta Falcons

Ryan Delgado
Director, Social Media & Influencer
Atlanta Falcons

Jackie Kinney
Manager, Social Media
Atlanta Falcons

Tori McElhaney
Senior Reporter
Atlanta Falcons

Elisia Landis
Digital Manager
Atlanta Falcons

Kelsey Duncan
Digital Operations Coordinator
Atlanta Falcons

Greg Urbano
Senior Director, Digital Experience
Atlanta Falcons

Roshni Hariharan
UI/UX Designer and Developer
Atlanta Falcons

Brandon Magnus
Sr. Manager, Photography and Digital Asset Management
Atlanta Falcons

Shanna Lockwood
Manager, Photography
Atlanta Falcons

Jay Bendlin
Team Photographer
Atlanta Falcons

Taylor McLaughlin
Taylor McLaughlin: Photo Editor and Digital Asset Coordinator
Atlanta Falcons

Emily Hendrix
Digital Asset Manager
Atlanta Falcons

Austin Hittel
Sr. Director, Video Production
Atlanta Falcons

Jenny Ross
Video Productions Manager
Atlanta Falcons

Matt Haley
Director, Football Communications
Atlanta Falcons

Amanda Dinkel
Senior Director, Community Relations
Atlanta Falcons

Parker McGlone
Senior Manager, MBS Turf and Grounds
Atlanta Falcons

Kurt Wisenbaugh
Senior Director, Live Events
Atlanta Falcons

Julia Chongarlides
Senior Director & Executive Producer, Stadium Production
Atlanta Falcons