Synopsis:

“Sports Change Lives” is a brand platform for DICK’S Sporting Goods that’s built on the belief in the power of sports to change our perspectives, our character and our communities for the better.

As a follow-up to our March launch, we worked with DICK’S Sporting Goods and their partner Nike and Jordan to highlight some of the most powerful and personal examples of sports changing lives, through the lens of ten professional athletes:

Stories included:

-              Alex Morgan’s story of how the resilience she learned through soccer changed the trajectory of her life on and off the field.

-              Mike Trout’s story of how his coach’s pep talk helped shape him into a more resilient person and athlete.

-              10x NBA All-Star, Carmelo Anthony’s story of how a rec center helped him learn to stand tall and build a legacy.

-              NFL running back Najee Harris’ surprising story of his early football days. After winning Most Improved Player at age 7, Najee realized that football helped unlock his potential and give him “tools for life” off the field.

-              NFL wide receiver, Davante Adams, shares how he gained confidence after a tough season. Davante realized natural talent is not enough, it’s always work ethic.

-              Paralympic medalist, Tatyana McFadden, shares how sports changed her life and how opportunity changes outcomes.

-              U.S.A. track & field champion, Athing Mu, learned to "trust the process" through sport.

-              High School All-American, DJ Wagner, shares how one team can inspire and change an entire town.

-              WNBA guard, Sabrina Ionescu, tells her story of how sports helped shape who she is today through determination  on and off the court through.

-              WNBA Forward, A’ja Wilson, shares how a coach helped her discover her true potential and molded her into the woman she is today.

This documentary-styled series of films represent different roles that sports have played in each athlete’s journey. These stories are authentic to each athlete, but universally relatable — continuing to inspire the world to change their lives through sport.

Strategy:

The “Sports Change Lives” campaign captures a truth that rings true for athletes across every sport, level, and role. With the cornerstone of "change", we can tell a vast array of unique stories, while still laddering up to a single, inspiring truth. This idea unlocks a way for DICK’S to be a brand that resonates with athletes, by heroing a shared belief in the transformational power of sports.

These athlete stories rolled out across the summer aligned to major live sports moments. We aligned athlete stories with marquee moments in sports: Mike Trout during the MLB season, Sabrina Ionescu and A'ja Wilson during the WNBA season, Carmelo Anthony and DJ Wagner during the NBA finals and NBA draft, Alex Morgan during the Women’s World Cup, Athing Mu and Tatyana McFadden during the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championship, and Davante Adams and Najee Harris during Thursday Night Football and HBCU Classics.

The campaign included online video and social media, as well as national broadcast TV and online spots highlighting a new Sports Matter grant program within The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation: 75for75, with DICK’S distributing grants of $75,000 to each of the ten pro athletes to distribute to the program of their choosing in need of monetary resources and/or sports equipment.