Real College Athlete Collabs with Real Brands
Real College Athlete Collabs with Real Brands
Brands Featured: Dove/Walgreens, IHOP, Crocs, Celsius, Steve Madden, Dr. Teals
Each week, we’ll be rounding up some of our favorite NIL creative campaigns from athletes having success in NIL, and what other athlete content-creators can learn from them.
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By: Lauren Huttner (Northwestern Medill ‘24)
IHOP x Landen Hatchett (Washington Football): Hatchett’s interview style collab with IHOP combined his passion for football and personal connection to the restaurant. From sharing what’s in his locker to who he brings to IHOP, Hatchett kept the post authentic and informative.
The Takeaway: Find and share your personal connection to a brand. Whether you have used a product since you were a child or are trying something for the first time, keeping the story personal ultimately makes it more persuasive and effective.
Crocs x Frederick Richard (Michigan Mens Gymnastics): The starting line of this advertisement truly sets the tone: “I just like the style.” The fancy cuts and transitions coupled with an authentic voice over keep the content engaging. Seeing Richard jump and dance around made it clear that the product aligned with his personal brand, a key part in the execution of the campaign.
The Takeaway: If a product makes you feel a certain way, don’t just say it…show it. Crocs clearly brought Richard positive energy, and the shots demonstrated that much better than any voiceover.
Steve Madden x Munzy Kabbara (Texas A&M Swim): Jazzy music coupled with commentary, Munzy Kabbara communicates how Steve Madden elevates his style. Additionally, the combination of photos and video keep the content interesting and engaging.
The Takeaway: Make sure your content matches a vibe you want to give off. Kabbara used a certain music and filming style to make Steve Madden feel cool. Use a combination of videos, voiceover and music to help a certain emotion jump off the screen.
Dove/Walgreens x Victoria Nguyen (Florida Gymnastics)
Victoria Nguyen’s content for Dove and Walgreens feels authentic. The “get ready with me” set up, simple production quality, seamless mention of her ordering Dove products on the Walgreens app and her conversation about confidence aligns well with Dove’s mission and Nguyen’s personal brand. Nguyen crafted the video to reflect her and the company’s values, making it compelling.
The Takeaway: Authenticity sells! Don’t always feel the need to be over the top with post production editing. Sharing your story straight to the camera with a mention of a product or brand can be enough to persuade the viewer.
Celsius x Jared Mccain (Duke MBB)
At the intersection of hype video and brand advertisement, Jared Mccain’s content for Celsius brings the energy. With engaging shots of Mccain shooting hoops and fun transitions to shots of the drink, the content succeeds in getting viewers excited about the brand. Even without narration, Mccain uses post-production tools like energetic music and clean cuts to evoke emotion.
The Takeaway: Think about how you want the people who watch a video you make for brand to feel. Is it excitement? Happiness? Empathy? From there, determine how your editing style and music might evoke those emotions.
Dr Teals x Marvin Harrison Jr. (OSU FB)
Marvin Harrison Jr’s campaign for Dr. Teals blends a strong narrative with high quality production. What stands out is the composure of the shots: some are still with the product in frame while others are dynamic as Harrison works out and recovers. The framing of the shots and their focus work well. Combined with a genuine voiceover, Harrison successfully shares his routine and why Dr. Teals is important to him.
The Takeaway: Switching up your shots between stills and dynamics keeps videos engaging. Harrison’s combination kept viewers’ attention, and combined with his narrative, sold the product.
Brandon is known for his fun, basketball-filled comedy skits. It’s no surprise that he brought his same energy to a collaboration with Doich. By embracing his personality and style, Brandon was able to naturally incorporate the product without disrupting his content. As a result, the video was simultaneously persuasive and entertaining.
The Takeaway: Let your personal brand and niche enhance the content you create. When reading a brief from a brand find ways your content style might compliment the videos or photos you are producing.
Lauren Huttner (Northwestern Medill ‘24) is a journalist and strategist for creators and brands. Lauren has written for Inc. Magazine, worked with Dorm Room Fund and was VP of Community at AMA, a youtube data-analytics firm acquired by Jellysmack.