Tell us about your role in the creation of this work.
Anthony: Most years we create the playoffs campaign for the Warriors, but this year we developed the regular-season work— from the in-stadium signage to video boards, jumbotron intro videos, radio ads and, of course, TV spots.
Give us an overview of the campaign, what is it about?
Rony: Warriors’ pregame festivities include jumbotron videos, pyrotechnics and confetti. But the most memorable part is when the flag runners sprint around center court. That’s what gets fans excited for the game. With the start of a new era of Warriors basketball, we decided to pump fans up with one of the actual flag runners, Anthony Pava, as our hero. But instead of running around the court, he runs around the entire Bay Area.
This is a Warriors spot, but it’s also a love letter to the Bay Area and its residents, who are all part of Dub Nation.
Tell us about the details creative brief, what did it ask?
Anthony: It’s a new team. For the first time in five years they’re not the favorite to win the championship. And most notably, they’re opening their new arena in San Francisco. So this campaign is meant to launch the new era for the Golden State while also reaffirming the team’s close link to the entire Bay Area.
Which insight led to the creation of this piece of work?
Rony: With this being a new era for the Warriors, we needed an emotional theme to bring people together. Anthony and his fellow flag runners kick things off before games, and unlike most teams they don’t represent a city, they represent an entire metro area—the Bay. So it felt right to run the “we are dub nation” flag around the bay, as if to say, even though the team changed arenas, they still represent the Bay Area the same way they always have.
Can you share with us any alternative ideas (if any) for this campaign? Why was this idea chosen?
Anthony: Can’t recall any other ideas, but I think this idea was chosen because it’s real and familiar. We didn’t create a narrative. The games begin with Anthony and his team running around center court, with flags raised. We just thought, “what if that run started from his house?”
What was the greatest challenge that you and your team faced bringing this work to life?
Rony: The budget. Plain and simple. The brand team was on board, our team was on board, but as you can imagine sports franchises don’t have huge production budgets, especially for creative like this. So, we had to be scrappy. And luckily our director, Amir Farhang, was on board to make it work. And he was phenomenal. From start to finish, we were all on the same page, which made it feel effortless even though we were working our butts off.
What did you enjoy most about seeing this campaign through? Did you learn anything new from the experience?
Anthony: The people. Our star of the spot, Anthony, was a good sport even though he ran a marathon, caught a cramp, and was running in Air Force Ones (not a running shoe). Our producers were all in, the post production team was all in. There were no egos. We felt like a team, which is funny, since the Warriors have built a dynasty on being a collection of selfless players. It was fitting.
Where do you see this campaign going in the future?
Rony: We Are Dub Nation, as a line, should live for a long time. It’s a rally cry the team has used, so won’t be going anywhere soon. To be honest, it’ll probably live as long as Anthony keeps running.