By Jonathan Baker Last week, the NFL season kicked off and is now in full force. With a growing appreciation of touchdown celebrations, this season may be one for the books. Short-form videos of on-the-spot celebrations and victory dances abound nowadays when they were once forbidden. Why was this, and for what reason did this rule change? The Ban on Touchdown Celebrations For years, the NFL held a long-standing ban on touchdown celebrations. Organizers felt these diversions would cause game delays as well as the possibility of players using props or even dangerous gestures that would prove disruptive. The overall feeling was that touchdown celebrations would eclipse the true meaning of football, which was to promote sportsmanship. And the powers that be at the NFL meant business. Players who engaged in spur-of-the-moment acts of victory on the field would be heavily fined and penalized. Things have changed, however, and social media was responsible for a gradual lightening (and eventual lift) of this ban. The Shift Over the last few years, there has been a gradual change in attitude toward touchdown celebrations. With the advent of short-form video via social media, the NFL came around. Realizing that this video trend was not only difficult to stop but in fact could lead to potentially free marketing opportunities, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell loosened restrictions on touchdown celebrations in 2017. Since then, these spontaneous happy dances have become as vibrant and memorable as the winning plays themselves and have in fact become famous for their choreography. One of the most famous of these is… The Griddy A popular dance where people taps their heels on the ground and swings their arms and makes “O.K.” hand gestures with their eyes, the Griddy was Invented by a Louisiana high schooler named Allen Davis (fittingly nicknamed “Griddy”). This dance has now achieved widespread fame, thanks to Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, complemented by short-form videos captured, posted, and reshared to social media (with a concentration on TikTok). How widespread? Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson performs the Griddy.(Image Credit: YouTube) Millions (with an “M”) of Views A recent article in Sports Business Journal, citing findings from Ad Age, noted that as of last season, videos of players performing the Griddy and any number of victory dances attracted more than 350 million views on social media. Perhaps in the hope of topping this impressive figure, a marketing campaign is in place to capitalize on this trend. Prepare for… “The Season is Your Stage” Inspired by the spontaneous acts of joy it once penalized, the NFL is promoting “The Season is Your Stage.” True to its name, this campaign will highlight every touchdown dance and every other memorable moment that happens once a team scores a winning play. Any form of celebration captured on video is known as a “celly.” And, as might be expected, “Celly Studios” are popping up where players can work out and refine their own dance moves to complement the Griddy craze. Going beyond the studio… Creators Are Getting Into the Act An additional move by the NFL is the forming of partnerships with creators who will help spread the contagious gridiron happiness to even more social media viewers. With these steps in place, fan allegiances are created and strengthened, which in turn may drive more purchases of more team-connected merchandise and viewership. Win-wins all around. In Closing Before 2017, it seemed inconceivable that the NFL would not only sanction but embrace the practice of football players acting out their joy. This should serve as a reminder that opportunities are everywhere, and marketers must be mindful of ever-changing attitudes. If you’re wondering what the next big change might be, get in touch with EGC Group. Our marketing and creative teams are always tuned in to trends that are on the horizon. Consider partnering with us to promote your brand. Who knows? The results may have you performing your own “celly” at the possible success we might bring!
