ESPN Life Needs Sports: Skee-Lo - “Smaller” feat. Steph Curry, Chris Paul, Terry Rozier and Kyle Lowry (2018) :30 (USA)

ESPN Launches New Global Brand Campaign Life Needs Sports 

Life Needs Sports celebrates the powerful role sports play in fans’ lives. The campaign acknowledges that all fans are unique, with their own vernacular, sense of humor, styles and traditions. From the inspirational to the emotional, to the offbeat and beyond, the creative executions tap into universal sports truths and forge genuine connections with distinct fan groups. 

"We feel now is the right time to remind people just how integral a role sports plays in our lives. Life Needs Sports is a sentiment that resonates with fans and will facilitate an ongoing dialogue,” said Wanda Young, SVP Marketing and Consumer Engagement. “Only ESPN can have this authentic conversation with fans in real time across our platform. Throughout this campaign we’ll champion the collective experience and emotion of sports."

Added David Droga, Creative Chairman and Founder at Droga5, “Life Needs Sports—it couldn't be more true. But it’s also more than a tagline, it’s an articulation of ESPN’s unwavering belief and underscores the brand’s purpose. This campaign connects with fans during their sports’ peak moments in a way that’s genuine and authentic.” 

Sean Hanrahan, SVP of Brand and Marketing Solutions at ESPN said, “Sports give us what we need, when we need it—inspiration, connection, escape. It also provides relatable metaphors that help us better understand the world around us.  Through the Life Needs Sports campaign, ESPN will surprise and delight fans with unique observations and insights about sports.”

Life Needs Sports will key in on culturally relevant moments across a variety of sports. In the coming weeks, ESPN will release creative executions tied to the NBA, MLB, WNBA and even the Scripps National Spelling Bee, among others.

At launch, the marquee creative focuses on the NBA. Entitled “Smaller,” it pays tribute to many of the NBA’s “small ball” players including Steph Curry, Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry and Terry Rozier, who have defied conventional NBA height standards and inspired an entire generation of young ballers to play the game differently. As “Smaller” articulates, sports reminds fans that Life Measures Height, Sports Measures Heart.

To deliver this message, ESPN enlisted the rapper Skee-Lo to re-record his cult classic 1995 hit song “I Wish” with new lyrics. In the original, Skee-Lo laments that he’d like to be a little bit taller. In this version, Skee-Lo wishes he were a little bit smaller so he, too, could change the game. ESPN created a long-form version, which pays homage to the track’s original music video.

Ad Agency: Droga5