The NFLPA Players' All Pro
The 6th Annual Awards
- Best Social Media Campaign
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
The NFLPA Players' All-Pro is the ultimate sign of respect for NFL players because it's awarded by their peers. This campaign celebrates the best in the league through inventive animations that engage fans, videos from the player perspective and custom designed awards that bring all the elements together.
How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?
When it comes to determining who’s the best at the game, NFL player voices have largely been absent until now. Media, teams and fans are accustomed to sharing their opinions, but the ones who truly know what it takes to play their specific position now have their say. The standard has officially been set. Our hope is that this will inspire other players’ unions to follow suit and include athlete voices in the conversation. We also hope that this award gives fans a new perspective of the game from the eyes of the player, motivating them to dig even deeper to learn more about positions or about who their team is going up against.
Objective
The media, analytics and fans—they all in some way have had a large say in determining where athletes rank in the sports hierarchy. And in some cases, the results have impacted player contracts and bonuses. But who better than NFL players themselves to decide who performs best on the field?
We empowered NFL players to take matters into their own hands and exclusively determine a new, true All-Pro team, using their unique expertise to vote for their peers who play their same position as well as the positions they line up against. The result was a more meaningful and authentic award, rooted in our union’s mission to give players a say as the main stakeholders within their industry and their game.
Strategy & Execution
What would it look like if a game was composed of only the top NFL players lining up against each other? We partnered with Cub Studio to imagine that matchup for fantasy footballers and gamers through an illustrated animation that featured our full roster of All-Pros. In addition, each winning player had a unique, illustrated motion graphic.
To mark the prestige of the award for players, we tapped Brian Madden to design and build individual trophies made out of nero marquina marble. Each weighed 13 pounds each and was inspired by the iconic, white panel football silhouette. Each award also featured a unique playbook illustration as a nod to the player’s team and role on the field. The awards were fitted into custom boxing and hand-delivered as a surprise at the Pro Bowl.
For honorees like Jason Kelce, the award was the “ultimate sign of respect” knowing that it was coming from his peers around the league. The modern sports fan is accustomed to hearing athletes speak out on their platforms, and players appreciated how this list allowed their voice to be a part of the public debate around “who’s the best?”
Organizations
- NFL Players Association
- OneTeam Partners
- Cub Studio
- FreshTape Media
- Brian Madden Studio
Links
Featured
- Aaron Donald
- AJ Cole
- Brandon Aubrey
- Brenden Schooler
- CeeDee Lamb
- Chris Jones
- Christian McCaffrey
- DaRon Bland Derius Davis
- Dexter Lawrence
- Fred Warner
- Jalen Reeves-Maybin
- Jason Kelce
- Jessie Bates III
- Joel Bitonio
- Keisean Nixon
- Kyle Hamilton
- Kyle Juszczyk
- Lamar Jackson
- Lane Johnson
- Maxx Crosby
- Myles Garrett
- Pat Surtain II
- Roquan Smith
- Ross Matiscik
- Travis Kelce
- Trent Williams
- Tyler Smith
- Tyreek Hill
- Zack Martin
Credits
Kasidee Karsten
Senior Manager, Digital Strategy
NFLPA
Veronica Jenkins
Director of Creative & Interactive Content
NFLPA
George Atallah
Assistant Executive Director of External Affairs
NFLPA
Stephanie Blackwell
Digital Content Manager
NFLPA
JC Tretter
President
NFLPA
Brian Madden
Creative Director
Brian Madden Studio
Fraser Davidson
Director/Animator
Cub Studio
Ben Skinner
Co-Founder
Cub Studio
Drew Marsh
Producer
Fresh Tape Media
Audrey Alex
Experiential and Interior Designer
Fresh Tape Media
Jordan Chatman
Videographer
Fresh Tape Media
Patrick Merluzzi
Videographer
Fresh Tape Media
Laurence Vexler
Sound Designer
Fresh Tape Media
Christina Manfredi
Editor
Fresh Tape Media
Brandon Parker
Senior Communications Manager
NFLPA
Celebrate in NYC
Join us for the 6th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 6, 2024 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.
