NCAA - "Talking Bench"

Leo Burnett Detroit

Leo Burnett Detroit Detroit, United States

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Brand: NCAA
Country: United States

Advertiser: National Collegiate Athletic Association

Title	Talking Bench
Agency	Leo Burnett Detroit
Campaign	Talking Bench
Advertiser	National Collegiate Athletic Association
Brand	NCAA
Posted	April 2014
Business Sector	Outdoor Sports & Athletics
Story	The NCAA is changing its eligibility requirements for Division I athletes—from a 2.0 GPA in core courses to a 2.3 GPA—starting in 2016. To help raise awareness, NCAA’s advertising agency since 2012, Leo Burnett Detroit, created “Talking Bench,” a campaign informing high school athletes of where they’ll sit if they don’t make the grade. The campaign kicked off by surprising high school athletes in a candid video shoot. As students get sent to the proverbial bench, they get a wisecrack earful from The Bench. It jokes with one basketball player, “I hope you’re better at passing tests than you did passing that ball.” The Bench asks another student for her GPA. When she says she doesn’t know, the bench responds, “You don’t know?! Now I know exactly why you’re over here.” See the video here. Talking Bench will include a :30-second PSA on Turner networks, ESPN, CBS Sports and CBS. The spot will also run in select cinema. The initiative will reach students via in-school collateral such as wall posters and sticker talk bubble decals that will go on actual gymnasium benches. In addition, dozens of short-clip videos as well as an enter-to-win contest will run in social including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and SnapChat. Learn more about the campaign at http://2point3.org and talk to The Bench on Twitter at twitter.com/talkingbench.
Media Type	Television
Length	150 seconds
Chief Creative Officer	Steve Chavez
SVP, Creative Director, Art	Bob Veasey
SVP, Integrated Creative Director	Glen Hilzinger
VP, Executive Producer	Erik Zaar
AD, Operations	Jessica Harold
Integrated Group Director	Skip Drayton
Print Producer	Steve Lyons from Prodigious
Planner	Melanie Reynolds
Production Company	Prettybird
Director	Billy Rainey
Social Media Company	Renegade, LLC
PR Company	Coyne PR