This past Saturday the Premier League announced a 6-year extension of their partnership with NIKE as the official ball provider for the league. The already long-term relationship will now span to over two decades.
To promote the relationship the Premier League went out to Portland to visit NIKE’s campus for the first time. The league’s top executives, including Richard Scudamore and Richard Masters, were greeted by the likes of Mark Parker, Martin Buckley, and Tim Howard and given an exclusive tour of the facilities.
NIKE kept things rolling by hosting a private event that turned Prefontaine Hall into a pop-up museum dedicated to the evolution of the NIKE Premier League ball and their partnership. The experience showcased every regular and Hi-Vis ball to date in the partnership, going all the way back to the original Merlin.
The Premier League had a video crew on site to capture the events of the day as well as hold interviews with the people that were essential in the continuation of the partnership. I was lucky enough to play a role by directing that video team and conducting the interviews. The goal of the interviews was to bring to life the reach and value of the collaboration – showcasing the nuanced utility and how it impacts not only the official league ball but the additional avenues like the referee kits and the community outreach initiatives.
The output will act as a natural extension on the announcement and remind people of the importance of the partnership. NIKE and the Premier League have been able to grow their brands together for the past decade and a half and the next six years shouldn’t be any different.
Categories: Commercial, Nike, Premier League, Sponsorship