Over the past four years, Blue Room has produced 18 spots that each feature a pro football player performing an amazing feat in one continuous :30 shot as part of a viral and on-air marketing campaign for Reebok and the NFL. The dual purpose of the series has been to direct traffic to NFL.com and to further establish Reebok's brand within the world of professional football. The ads have garnered a large amount of popular and critical attention with
35 million YouTube views, a Gold Promax/BDA award for "Best On Air Promotion for a Website" and a 2008 Silver Webby for branded content and promotion. Sam Farmer of the LA Times called the series a "fantastic commercial success" and noted that the ads have become so well known that players are now pitching their own ideas for next year's spots.
Although the target audience has mainly been American football fans, it's been a welcome surprise to see the number of user-generated versions from places as disparate as Mexico and Sweden. Along with the foreign renditions, there are also dozens of YouTube spin-offs made by homegrown football fans from across the nation. See some of our favorites here (link to a sequence we've created).
The success of the series seems due to the indefectible nature of the effects, the sheer awesomeness of the crazy stunts and the casual way the players appear to pull them off. As the campaign heads into its fifth year, the Fantasy Files have become synonymous with the start of the football season and all of the passion, bravado and hometown hopes that accompany it.
Although the target audience has mainly been American football fans, it's been a welcome surprise to see the number of user-generated versions from places as disparate as Mexico and Sweden. Along with the foreign renditions, there are also dozens of YouTube spin-offs made by homegrown football fans from across the nation. See some of our favorites here (link to a sequence we've created).
The success of the series seems due to the indefectible nature of the effects, the sheer awesomeness of the crazy stunts and the casual way the players appear to pull them off. As the campaign heads into its fifth year, the Fantasy Files have become synonymous with the start of the football season and all of the passion, bravado and hometown hopes that accompany it.
Credits
NFL
- Head of Marketing for NFL/Copywriter: Jonathan Klein
- Director of Advertising: Robert Stecklow
- Account Manager: Matthew Cleary
Reebok
- Brand Communications Manager: Dan Wiseman
Blue Room
- Director: Brian Aumueller
- DP: Steven Faulkner Moyer (The Arsenal)
- Creative Director: Brian Aumueller
- Exec Producer: Chris Gargani
- Sr Producer: Lauren Muir
- Editorial Director: David Gargani
- Audio Mix: Brian Aumueller
- Lead VFX Supervisor: Steve Harper
- Lead VFX Supervisor: Paul Waszak
- VFX Artist: Chieh Yen
- VFX Artist: Mark Lopez
 Joe FlaccoRavens |
 Darren SprolesChargers |
 Kevin BossGiants |
 Santonio HolmesSteelers |
 Maurice Jones-DrewJaguars |
 Lawrence MaroneyPatriots |
 Chris CooleyRedskins |
 Chris ChambersChargers |
 Mason CrosbyPackers |
 Marc BulgerRams |
 Marques ColstonSaints |
 Jason CampbellRedskins |
 Andre JohnsonTexans |
 Mike NugentJets |
 David AkersEagles |
 Neil RackersCardinals |
 Chris SimmsBuccaneers |
 Braylon EdwardsBrowns |