DRAFTKINGS EXCITEMENT
Social/Digital/Broadcast
How do we tell the world that sports are so much more thrilling and exciting with DraftKings? Enlist some of the world’s biggest adrenaline junkies—like pro free climber, Matty Hong, and World Surf League big wave legend, Bianca Valenti—to say how “boring” their lives would be without it. Great media timing, too: climbing & surfing just happened to be two new events added to the 2021 Toyko Olympics, during which these spots ran. Yay synergy.
Creative Directors: SaintPaul
Agency: DraftKings In-house.
CW: Michael Ackerson. CD: Steve Baker. AD: Nick Devine. EP: Mary Hanifin. Director: Peter Berg/Film 47. Editor: Charlie Harvey/Whitehouse Post. Audio: Duotone. Animator: Eric Funk.
The Climb
The Curl
Excitement Behind the Scenes
Director Peter Berg + top extreme athletes + DraftKings + Malibu Creek State Park = 50-foot-swell/5,000-foot-climb-sized excitement.
SaintPaul
DraftKings In-house
From October ‘20 through December ‘21, SaintPaul was “permalance” at online sports betting/daily fantasy sports leader DraftKings. Providing day-to-day mentorship and creative/strategic direction for their in-house team of 20+ writers, art directors, designers, film crew, social shooters, and animators. Optimizing multiple campaigns for DK’s Daily Fantasy Sports, Sportsbook and Casino offerings. Helping build brand awareness, maximizing CR, applying DR best practices, and driving conversion during key events on the sports calendar. Oh, and we revived Martin Lawrence. Bonus.
“We originally hired SaintPaul for October through December, 2020...three months that quickly turned into fifteen. From day one, they conducted themselves more like integral, longtime team members than ‘hired gun’ freelancers: they were inspiring, supportive, accessible mentors to our in-house creative group (from Jr's to CD's); they rolled up their sleeves and did the actual work, from day-to-day to huge productions; and they were reliable, collaborative partners for myself and our key stakeholders. Mark and Paul were the ideal ‘player-coaches’ and their experience, talent and professionalism helped raise our creative and strategic bar to new levels. We have them on speed dial for 2022.”
— Michael Shonkoff, Vice President, Brand, DraftKings, Inc.
“Bringing Mark and Paul in was a rude awakening to my team of how high the creative bar actually is. Their expertise in the advertising field showed at every level from big thinking to never ending finishing. My team is stronger now than before they got here.”
— Steve Baker, Creative Director, DraftKings, Inc