See Translation's first ad for the Big 12

The effort comes as the college conference aims to become more contemporary as its membership changes.

Jul 12, 2023 - 21:01

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See Translation's first ad for the Big 12

New creative from the Big 12 Conference shows off a brand refresh meant to make it more contemporary and appealing to young fans and future college athletes.

A new video to be shown at Big 12 Media Day today comes as the athletic conference officially welcomes four new schools—but prepares for the 2025 departure of two of its stalwart brands in the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas, both of whom are joining the Southeastern Conference.

The shakeup leaves the Big 12 with 14 schools temporarily, and that dichotomy provides the opportunity to have fun with numbers in the brand anthem spot, entitled “Countdown.” The work comes from the agency Translation, which was hired to lead creative and strategy for the Big 12 late last year.

Texas-based rapper BigXThaPlug narrates the 60-second spot, which features college athletes from all 14 Big 12 Conference institutions, and sports ranging from diving to volleyball to football. It highlights the league’s origins and legacy of seven winners of the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded annually to the top player in college football.

The media buy includes airings on ESPN and ESPNU, according to Translation.

“The Big 12 is committed to thriving at the intersection of sports and culture and getting on the consciousness of current and future student-athletes,” Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said in a press release. The ad "reflects on our rich history and points towards our future—and shows we are greater than 12.”

New schools joining the conference include the University of Houston, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Central Florida and Brigham Young University. The change is serving to make the Big 12 a more urban-focused league, growing from five states with 40.2 million people to eight states with more than 76.5 million people, according to the conference.

Yormark was named Big 12 commissioner last year after stints as chief operating officer at Roc Nation and CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment Global, the parent company of Barclays Center and the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. Brooklyn-based Translation has experience with pro sports including the Nets.

“Our work for the Big 12 is about embracing the new world of college athletics. We want to celebrate student-athletes and their successes both on and off the field,” Steve Stoute, founder and CEO of Translation, said in a press release. “As for the conference at large, we want the Big 12 to move at the speed of the shifting landscape and be known as the conference that embraces change, diversity, individuality, and is a pioneer in college sports.”