The Premier Lacrosse League x Method Man x Champion Collaboration

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

Driven by a shared mission to increase the accessibility and inclusivity of lacrosse, the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) collaborated with Champion apparel and Grammy award-winning rapper, songwriter, and producer Method Man on a limited edition apparel line inspired by the rapper's love of the game of lacrosse. The capsule served as a unique and impactful means to deliver a simple, yet critical, message that lacrosse is for everyone.

It was imperative to all three parties that the campaign include a direct, tangible, community impact that supported that mission and message. As a result, 11 non-profit lacrosse and club organizations were selected to receive new gear from Champion based on each individual program’s needs. The organizations were identified based on their use of lacrosse to drive the personal and academic development of youth lacrosse players in underserved communities nationwide.

Objective

The product release served as a non-typical means to break through the clutter of typical marketing campaigns - one that embraced original music in the track Method Man created for the capsule (BOOM) as well as a goal of showcasing an icon’s authentic love for the sport. That’s what it takes to cut through the noise today.

From the thoughtful capsule design to the meaningful social storytelling by Method Man, Champion, and the PLL, the campaign was created to drive awareness, make a direct impact on non-profit partners, and inspire a new generation of lacrosse players. The capsule design incorporates elements of Method’s Hempstead roots, and the apparel’s hip look and feel intentionally appeal to a broad audience, not just diehard lacrosse fans.

Method Man summarized the campaign’s goals best: “First they’re gonna be like ‘Method Man played lacrosse? Then, hopefully, (the collection) gets more kids to explore the sport…‘that guy’s where I’m from…’ and ‘my name’s gonna be on that shirt next.’ We can go through different avenues besides basketball, football, and baseball. The time spent on the field playing lacrosse can keep them from being in bad situations. As opposed to running from something, running to something.”

Strategy & Execution

The success of this campaign was dependent on creating apparel that would appeal to a broad audience and producing authentic content to explain the impetus of the collaboration and the purpose behind the capsule.

The collaboration released a series of content pieces, starting with an apparel tease, followed by a capsule unveil, a behind-the-scenes vlog, and a product donation announcement. Most importantly, the league distributed thoughtful videos highlighting the purpose of the collaboration, leveraging PLL athlete influencers Nakeie Montgomery and Jules Heningburg.

In his video, Montgomery shared the inspirational role that Method Man played in his life as a successful Black male. He emphasized the importance of the collection, sharing that “when all these kids open up these clothes, I just want them to have the simple feeling that they belong.” Heningburg echoed the sentiment in his post, with the caption “More access and representation to inspire.” Along with promotion on league channels, Montgomery and Heningburg both posted on their personal channels.

Organizations

• Premier Lacrosse League
• Champion
• Method Man

Credits

Mike Rabil
CEO
Premier Lacrosse League

Paul Rabil
President
Premier Lacrosse League

Gabrielle Doria
Director, Partnership Activation
Premier Lacrosse League

Owen Moy
Videographer
Premier Lacrosse League

Stelios Kroudis
Videographer
Premier Lacrosse League

Daniel Ortiz
Director, Merchandise
Premier Lacrosse League

RJ Kaminski
Director, Brand
Premier Lacrosse League

Liam Murphy
Graphic Designer
Premier Lacrosse League

John Shumate
VP, Brand Marketing
Champion

Tiana Black
Graphic Designer
Champion

Clifford Smith "Method Man"
Artist
Method Man

James Ellis
Talent Manager
Method Man