Troy Andersen: Montana Roots
The 6th Annual Awards
- Best Documentary: Long-Form
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
Atlanta Falcons 2022 second-round pick Troy Andersen may be a new-age linebacker but he has an old-school story, and for that reason he has an entire state behind him. Growing up on his family cattle ranch in rural Montana, Troy Andersen has always had a work ethic that has translated well in sports.
From being a thriving three-sport athlete in high school, to a multi-position player on both sides of the ball at Montana State University, Troy worked hard to get the life-changing phone call from the Falcons. After his rookie season in the NFL and all the lessons that came with it, Troy Andersen now looks ahead to year two while his hometown and the state Montana continues to root for him. The Atlanta Falcons felt compelled to tell his story.
How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?
The Montana Roots project set a new standard within the organization for longform storytelling across all platforms (video, editorial, photo, social and UIUX). Every department had a hand in the final product — from the 24-minute video, four photo galleries, three editorial stories and dedicated landing pages on the website and app, Montana Roots raised the bar for both the team and the league in how longform features are created, packaged and distributed. As of January 2024, the video alone is our highest revenue piece of content on YouTube. This project, in totality, sits squarely at the intersection of an athlete’s compelling story and industry-leading storytelling.
Objective
In the Spring of 2023, members of the Atlanta Falcons Digital Team, including videographers, photographers, and editorial content producers, traveled to Dillon, Montana to visit Troy Andersen’s family cattle ranch, where they were in the midst of calving season. Through interviews, photographs, and videos, the team captured the point of view of Troy’s immediate family, high school coaches, and even his Montana State coaches in Bozeman.
Days of content capture, research, writing and editing resulted a 24-minute video feature, three curated photo galleries, and three long-form editorial features showcasing what makes Troy special to the people in the state of Montana, but more importantly what makes Montana special to Troy.
Strategy & Execution
- Unmask a player by showcasing life beyond the game
- Produce a long-form video feature that generates significant engagement across various media platforms
- Craft captivating articles highlighting the key moments and insights from the time spent in Montana and stories told in the video
- Create engaging graphics, including social media banners (YouTube header, etc), promotional posters, and email templates, that incorporate key visuals and create a cohesive visual identity.
- Develop a social media content calendar tailored to the video feature, outlining key posting dates and content themes.
- Design a custom landing page and Judo app experience highlighting the main video, related galleries and editorial
Organizations
- Atlanta Falcons
Links
Featured
- Troy Andersen
Credits
Austin Hittel
Senior Director, Video Production and Broadcast
Atlanta Falcons
Tori McElhaney
Senior Content Producer
Atlanta Falcons
Jenny Ross
Video Production Manager
Atlanta Falcons
Mark Whittingham
Digital Video Producer
Atlanta Falcons
Shanna Lockwood
Team Photographer
Atlanta Falcons
Elisia Landis
Digital Manager
Atlanta Falcons
Matt Haley
Director, Football Communications
Atlanta Falcons
Jackson Sipes
Creative Design Manager
Atlanta Falcons
Jack Ozmer
Graphic Designer
Atlanta Falcons
Troy Andersen
Linebacker
Atlanta Falcons
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.
