2025 Broncos Playoffs - Climb Higher

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

We developed a fresh postseason creative look anchored by the rallying cry Climb Higher; a message meant to inspire players on the field, fans in the stands and Broncos Country far and wide. Every element leaned into upward movement: elevated compositions, rising textures, amplified gradients, and player photography that felt intense, raw, and focused. The campaign was crafted to visually mirror the psychological climb of postseason football.

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

The Climb Higher playoff campaign sets a new benchmark for fan engagement by transforming a postseason push into a region‑wide movement. Instead of relying solely on hype content, the campaign created a fully integrated visual and emotional ecosystem; one that connected social media, in‑stadium energy, city infrastructure, and community rallies under a single inspirational narrative. The unified system allowed fans to experience the postseason build‑up everywhere they went, turning the climb toward the playoffs into a shared cultural moment.

By grounding the creative in Denver’s altitude identity and translating “thin air” into a metaphor for elevated performance the campaign introduced a fresh model for how teams can use local identity to build postseason momentum. This work moves the industry forward by demonstrating how integrated design, consistent messaging, and community activation can become competitive advantages.

It inspires future sports campaigns to think beyond one‑off playoff graphics and toward cohesive, multi‑layered storytelling that brings entire regions into the journey. Climb Higher proves that postseason campaigns can be more than hype. They can be a unifying force that strengthens home‑field advantage and deepens fan connection on every platform.

Objective

The Broncos 2025 playoff campaign was designed to rally an entire region behind a postseason push that energized fans, celebrated a hard-earned division title and the No. 1 overall seed and created unified momentum heading into the NFL Playoffs.

Fans want to celebrate the journey that got the team there, but they also want an emotional spark that signals something bigger is ahead. Our insight was to use Denver’s unique altitude identity as a metaphor for postseason ambition and home-field advantage. The higher you go, the thinner the air — and the stronger the advantage.

Strategy & Execution

We developed a fresh postseason creative look anchored by the rallying cry Climb Higher; a message meant to inspire players on the field, fans in the stands and Broncos Country far and wide. Every element leaned into upward movement: elevated compositions, rising textures, amplified gradients, and player photography that felt intense, raw, and focused. The campaign was crafted to visually mirror the psychological climb of postseason football.

Integrated Execution

• Social Media: Bold graphics, vertical animations, countdowns, and hype moments carrying the Climb Higher visual system.
• In‑Stadium / Videoboard: Full playoff takeover with motion graphics, guest features, and atmospheric visuals emphasizing elevation and intensity.
• City‑Wide Activations: Outdoor placements, civic displays, and community touchpoints that extended the campaign beyond gameday.
• School & Fan Rallies: Mobile assets, banners, posters and rally materials that brought the Climb Higher message directly into Downtown Denver, classrooms and local fan hubs.

Organizations

• Denver Broncos

Featured

• Aqib Talib

  Peyton Manning

  T.J. Ward

Credits

Hailey Sullivan
Chief Marketing Officer
Denver Broncos

Erich Schubert
Vice President, Communications & Content
Denver Broncos

Whitney Hallock
Sr. Director of Marketing
Denver Broncos

Kevin Johnson
Creative Director
Denver Broncos

Liz Coates
Director of Game Entertainment
Denver Broncos

Julian Mijares
Art Direction/Design
Denver Broncos

Parker Albin
Art Direction/Design
Denver Broncos

Fatima Knight
Art Direction/Design
Denver Broncos

Dan Probst
Motion Graphics
Denver Broncos

Tori Boykins
Digital Design Manager
Denver Broncos

Maddie Graham
UX/UI Designer
Denver Broncos

Eric Allsopp
Sr. Graphic Designer
Denver Broncos

Jamie Vaci
Creative Project Manager
Denver Broncos

Austin Brink
Director of Video Production
Denver Broncos

Nick Young
Manager of Strategic Productions
Denver Broncos

Aaron Gunning
Content Producer/Editor
Denver Broncos

Ike Enriquez
Social Video Producer
Denver Broncos

Jalen Bell
Social Video Coordinator
Denver Broncos

Caroline Deisley
Director of Social Media
Denver Broncos

Kate Connors
Social Media Programming Manager
Denver Broncos

Aaron Fabis
Manager of Thundervision Content & Production
Denver Broncos

Josh Nevins
Motion Graphics Producer
Denver Broncos

Simon Clark
Live Production & Graphics Coordinator
Denver Broncos

Gabriel Christus
Team Photographer
Denver Broncos

Ben Swanson
Manager of Photography & Digital Assets
Denver Broncos

Michael Agado
Marketing Manager
Denver Broncos

Bobby Strachan
Marketing Manager
Denver Broncos

Javier Flores
Multicultural Marketing Coodinator
Denver Broncos

Brad Post
Mascot Coordinator
Denver Broncos