14 VOICES, 1 LEGACY: THE SEC STORY
The Challenge:
How do you create one unifying campaign for 14 fiercely individual schools each with it’s own identity traditions, and tone while building a cohesive SEC brand narrative?
Film across 9 campuses and still represent the remaining three Universities. Cast and direct 50+ student-athletes, chosen for both academic and athletic excellence. Honor the nuances and pride of each university and do it all on a highly condensed timeline and budget. Deliver a multi-platform campaign (TV, digital, social) for launch on one of the biggest days in college football.
CREATIVE & EXECUTION
Concept Development
SEED Director Nat Prinzi led creative ideation in partnership with TRG creative team, crafting a pitch rooted in school-specific research and brand insight. One voice, many faces – Student-athletes from each university narrate and perform the same script, cut together in edit to create a chorus effect. Local details, universal pride – Each film contains carefully embedded “easter eggs” including campus details, traditions, chants, landmarks, colors.
3. Roadmap
With only 21 days to cover 14 universities, scheduling was a feat. Instead of bouncing city to city inefficiently, we rented Kenny Chesney’s former tour bus, transforming it into a mobile production HQ. This minimized time spent on the road and significantly reduced travel costs.
Script & Storyboard
We developed school-specific scripts and matching visuals, presented in storyboard format for pre-approval. These weren’t generic promo spots. They were emotional, precise, and rooted in each school’s cultural DNA.
4. Voice of the Student Body
We recorded voiceover directly with talent during each shoot, creating flexibility in the edit and maximizing authenticity. The final pieces feel like a united student body speaking as one — a powerful nod to shared identity.
RESULTS:
Premiered nationally during opening weekend of college football, across every SEC game broadcast and to be run for the following two years.
Ignited organic sharing across student and alumni networks, thanks to authentic casting and school-specific content.
Boosted visibility of non-football academic and athletic programs. From STEM to swimming, equestrian to football and more.. we covered it all!
Drove measurable increases in enrollment inquiries during the campaign window (specific data available upon client approval).
Created a long-term branded asset library, providing evergreen content for future campaigns.