Dick's celebrates its in-store Olympians
Dick's Sporting Goods is launching an emotional omnichannel campaign as part of its sponsorship of Team USA.
The TV and digital effort tells the story of everyday sacrifices made by Olympic/Paralympic-hopeful athletes, and it prominently features five Team USA Contenders who are currently employed in Dick's stores nationwide.
“Each and every one of these athletes is truly an inspiration and living proof of how sports make people better,” said Lauren Hobart, EVP/CMO,Dick'sSporting Goods. “Telling their stories and providing an opportunity for our customers to get incredible advice and insight from them in our stores is something we’re proud to do.”
The athletes featured in the commercial are a small portion ofDick'sroster of nearly 200 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Contenders across 35 sports who are currently employed at 89 stores in 32 states. Athletes featured in the 60-second commercial include:
Jon Jones (Track & Field – Shot Put) – Jones, who works in the team sports and fitness departments at aDick'sSporting Goods in Amherst, N.Y. is the reigning NCAA Champion in shot put. The recent University of Buffalo graduate became the school’s first-ever NCAA track and field national champion. Since graduating, the 24-year-old has turned his attention to international competition where he placed fifth at the 2015 Pan-American Games in Toronto and earned a gold medal at NACAC Senior Area Championships in Costa Rica.
Jessica Medina (Wrestling) – The 29-year-old Medina is currently ranked as the number three woman in the U.S. in her weight class. Born in Chicago and raised in California, she has brought home several podium finishes in U.S. and international competition. She works at an Arizona-basedDick'sSporting Goods.
Desiree Miller (Wheelchair Basketball) – 28-year-old Desiree Miller has already represented Team USA at the London 2012 Paralympic Games where she and the women’s wheelchair basketball team placed fourth. When she isn’t training or competing with her team, she works in the team sports department at a Madison, Wis.Dick'sSporting Goods.
Laura Ryan (Diving) – Laura Ryan works at a GeorgiaDick'sSporting Goods while she trains to represent Team USA in Rio. The 23-year-old University of Georgia graduate has won several collegiate and national titles and plans to attend physician’s assistant school on top of working, training and competing.
N’aithan Scott (Track & Field – Hurdles) – Scott, a U.S. Olympic hopeful in the 110m hurdles, works at an Arizona-based DICK’S Sporting Goods. In addition to his grueling training each day, he is a father of two and regularly volunteers to help teach children the importance of nutrition and exercise.
Over the course of the next few months,Dick'swill also debut numerous pieces of original content that tell the stories of more Contenders and give a deeply personal and intimate look at what it takes to make Team USA.
“As a competing athlete, it really means a lot to me whatDick'sis doing for Team USA Contenders. The ability to have a job that works around my training schedule is absolutely amazing,” said 2012 U.S. Paralympian andDick'sSporting Goods Contender Desiree Miller. “There is so much hard work and sacrifice that goes into earning a gold medal and working for a company that understands that is really special to an athlete like me.”
The new advertisements and newly announced financial commitment are just the beginning of a full set of marketing activations and original content fromDick'sleading up to Team USA competing in the Olympic and Paralympic Games.Dick'swill also release a documentary later this summer that provides an inside look into the journey of Contender Kerri Walsh Jennings as she chases her fourth gold medal for Team USA during the 2016 Olympic Games. Additional original content will be announced over the next few months.
To house all of this content, and to serve as an online home for the Contenders program,Dick'shas launched dicks.com/TheContenders. This website will provide fans with profiles of the Team USA Contenders, updates on their Olympic and Paralympic Games journey and track the Team USA medal count and corresponding donation amount to the various, benefiting youth sports organizations.
To watch the first ad, click here.