Creative Director’s Choice: Jamie Falkowski of Day One Agency on Callaway Golf’s collaboration with Vice Sports
Creative Director’s Choice gives creative directors a chance to highlight the current work they think is the best out in the ad world – the ads and campaigns they believe are making a difference.
Jamie Falkowski of Day One Agency gives his Creative Director's Choice
This week, Jamie Falkowski of Day One Agency, an avid golf fan, talks about Callaway Golf's marketing efforts, including a smart content partnership with Vice Sports.
I’m a huge fan of the work Callaway Golf has been putting out into the world over the past two years, re-imaging their marketing efforts as an editorial and entertainment experience branded Callaway Media Productions and driven by the mind of chief executive officer Chip Brewer and chief marketing officer Harry Arnett. From multiple podcasts, to a live variety show, and even to a content partnership with Vice Sports — these guys get that even in a category as buttoned up as golf, it can pay to be different than the rest.
The content piece that truly breaks through for me though is the one that is at the intersection of golf and hip-hop, a documentary titled 'Golf Lives' that takes a close look at the importance of the sport to rap legend Scarface, aka Brad Jordan, former member of the famed Geto Boys. While the original has recently been followed up with a two-part extension that feels a bit more brand driven, it was this first 10-minute documentary that got me excited. Directed by Sarah Rinaldi (a CNN showrunner), the piece could feel just as at home as an ESPN segment — beautifully capturing both what I love so much about the challenges of the game of golf and opening it up to a demographic that grew up respecting your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.
The numbers might be small by traditional measurement (257k views) but this one piece of content drove numerous moments for the brand, with Scarface appearing on all of those extended CMP channels mentioned before. Brand documentary isn’t new, but this holistic approach to content creation that drives culture — sitting at the heart of a brand’s marketing mission — is the future.
To create campaigns that have staying power and make a memorable impact with your audience (new and old), it comes down to starting with the goal of culture first and using that as the genesis for ideation. With that approach, brands and agencies can make a lasting impact with their respective audiences that will live long past the expiration date of the latest product – as this collaboration represents.
Jamie Falkowski is the managing director of Day One Agency, working out of the agency's New York office.
View the 'Golf Lives' opening episode by clicking the Creative Works box below.
To see the latest creative ads and campaigns, visit The Drum’s Creative Works section. If you or your creative director would like to be featured in our Creative Director’s Choice, please contact Kyle O’Brien at kyle.obrien@thedrum.com.
