ESPN Captures the Excitement and Grit of Hockey Ahead of New Season

As ESPN enters its fourth season of an expansive multi-platform NHL relationship (which returned the sport to the ESPN ecosystem after a 17 year hiatus), Arts & Letters extends its live sports partnership with ESPN taking on the NHL on ESPN business this year.

Arts & Letters has launched a brand new campaign and platform that was developed with ESPN, titled 'That’s Hockey'. The platform invites fans to take a closer look at what makes the NHL so unique, while celebrating the indelible elements of the league that NHL fans know and appreciate. Rallying around the truth that there’s no sport like hockey, 'That’s Hockey' positions ESPN as the modern home for the NHL.

“The passion of the NHL players, fans and community is so visceral and palpable, that scoring our anthem with the sounds and sights of the game felt like the perfect way to set the tone for the upcoming NHL on ESPN season” said Lucas Ferraro, senior director of sports marketing at ESPN. “We wanted to celebrate the elements of the game that hockey fans know and love, while inviting those new to the sport into what makes the NHL so incredible to watch.”

The spot debuted on ESPN last night (September 30th) and is running on ESPN platforms, including digital and social, throughout the start of the NHL season.

“Hockey is truly one of the greatest spectacles in sports,” said Mike Behrends, creative director of Arts & Letters. “The secret that no one tells you is that once you see a game in real life, you’re hooked. It’s too exhilarating to not come back for more. With this new work, we really let the sport speak for itself, and let the spot try and get people as close to the game as they’d be if they stepped into an arena.”

Arts & Letters wanted to tell the story of hockey by leveraging the unique sounds of the game as the soundtrack for the anthem spot. The team worked with award-winning sound designer, musician and composer, Joseph Fraioli of Jafbox Sound, who strives to create an immersive world that pushes boundaries and surprises listeners through custom innovative sound design focused on the enrichment of storytelling.