It’s our two hundredth episode, and we’re going huge. The Velocity of Tradition hits a significant milestone with none aside from Tim Ellis, chief advertising officer of the NFL. In an period the place fandom is fractured and a focus spans are fleeting, the NFL has managed to remain not simply related—however revered. 

From opening new world markets to partnering with creators and bringing gamers’ personalities to the forefront, Tim is redefining what it means to market the largest sport in America. 

Since becoming a member of the NFL in 2018, Tim has led a transformative period of promoting for the NFL, championing inclusivity, youth engagement, world development, and participant storytelling. Previous to the NFL, Tim held government roles at Activision, Volkswagen, and Volvo, the place he drove breakthrough campaigns. 

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He has acquired quite a few accolades, together with ADWEEK and Advert Age’s prime CMO, and Cannes Lion World Marketer of the 12 months. A former actor and artistic visionary, Tim’s unconventional path powers his distinctive strategy to model management and advertising.

Take heed to Tim Ellis on The Velocity of Tradition to find how the NFL is utilizing goal, personalization, and partnerships to remain on the coronary heart of world tradition, and forward of the sport.

Key takeaways:

[01:56] The NFL’s Position in American Tradition — Tim explains how the NFL each displays and drives tradition, reaching over two-thirds of Individuals. However with that affect comes accountability. His technique balances escapism and affect—constructing campaigns that commemorate the enjoyment of soccer whereas uniting communities round shared values. For manufacturers, this reveals how leaning into goal can strengthen relevance and deepen emotional connection.

[04:40] “Helmets Off” and Humanizing the League — Tim’s “helmets off” technique pulls again the curtain on gamers’ lives to focus on their passions and personalities. From style collabs to basis spotlights, the objective is to make gamers extra relatable and followers extra invested. Manufacturers can study from this by amplifying the individuals behind the product, not simply the product itself.

[07:34] Gen Z Entry and the Creator Flywheel — By deploying stay content material creators (LCCs) and collaborating with platforms like Adobe and YouTube TV, the NFL is providing unprecedented fan entry and storytelling. These creator-led experiences have supercharged content material attain and model affinity, particularly with youthful audiences. For entrepreneurs, it is a case examine in co-creation as a distribution engine.