In January, we wrote about the history of Wieden + Kennedy New York's "This Is SportsCenter" campaign for ESPN, and how it has triumphed over the past 17 years (through almost 400 ads) by barely changing at all. Well, now it is changing—not the tone or subject matter, but the targeting.
The latest spot, "Handshakes," starring New York Yankees slugger Robinson Cano, features the same kind of humor we've come to expect from the campaign. The difference is, W+K filmed two separate versions—one in English, now airing on ESPN, and one in Spanish, airing on ESPN Deportes. It hasn't just been dubbed into Spanish. Most of the scenes were filmed twice, once with ESPN talent and once with ESPN Deportes talent. (A few of the wordless scenes do use the same footage.)
The move represents a push by ESPN for a greater connection with its Hispanic audience, the growth of which has outpaced its non-Hispanic audience in the past several years. While creating a whole second spot would seem to embody a respect for cultural differences, the plot of the two spots is identical—Cano's extensive hand-slapping celebrations are shown to not exactly be sanitary in an office environment. It's a nod to just how broad and relatable the humor of the campaign can be—and should continue to be, despite the expanded demographic focus.
CREDITS
Client: ESPN
Spots: "This is SportsCenter" - "Handshakes"
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, New York
Creative Directors: Brandon Henderson, Stuart Jennings
Copywriter: Charles Hodges
Art Director: Gary Van Dzura
Executive Producer: Temma Shoaf
Producer: Kelly Dage
Account Team: Brandon Pracht, Casey Bernard, Ryan Burke
Brand Strategist: Jason Gingold
Executive Creative Directors: Scott Vitrone, Ian Reichenthal
Head of Content Production: Lora Schulson
PRODUCTION
Production Company: O Positive
Director: Jim Jenkins
Executive Producer: Marc Grill
Line Producer: Marc Grill
Director of Photography: David Morabito
EDITORIAL
Editorial Company: Joint, New York
Editor: Andrew Robertson
Post Producer: Michelle Carman
Post Executive Producer: Patty Brebner
Assistant Editor: Eric Schoenbrunn
TELECINE/COLOR CORRECTION
Colorist: Tim Masik
Company: CO3
ONLINE/CONFORM
Artist: Kevin Quinlan
Company: The Mill
Post Supervisor: Charlotte Arnold
MIX
Mix Company: Heard City
Mixer: Philip Loeb