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Dena Kaplan accepted the statuette on behalf of NFL Networks, MeringCarson's client.
MeringCarson scores Emmy with NFL Network promo
Friday, April 30, 2010, 2:44pm PDT
Sacramento Business Journal - by Melanie Turner Staff writer
If having almost a billion people see their creative work wasn’t enough, Sacramento’s MeringCarson has won an Emmy for a 30-second spot it created for the NFL Network that aired during last year’s Super Bowl.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Greg Carson, creative director for MeringCarson, said. “We were definitely the underdog so I was shocked.”
Carson called the competition “pretty meaty.”
Nominees in the Outstanding Sports Promotional Announcement — or Best Commercial — category at the 31st annual Sports Emmy Awards ceremony Monday included several ESPN spots by the renowned advertising agency Wieden & Kennedy, the 2009 MLB All-Star Game on FOX and a Showtime spot titled Full Color Football — History of the AFL.
The award went to the NFL Network for the commercial conceived and directed by MeringCarson. The NFL Network client was at the awards ceremony in New York City Monday night to receive the award.
Carson learned of the big win after receiving a text message from Dena Kaplan of the NFL Network. After accepting the statuette on stage she sent “WE WON” in a text to Carson.
Later, she added: “Hope you guys heard me call you out all the way from New York City.”
Heavy on special effects and computer animation, the ad featured Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden jogging as he travels through a six-month timeline in about 25 seconds. His clothes change seamlessly as he journeys through the off-season from the NFL Scouting Combine to the college draft and training camp to, in full gear, the first game of the 2009 season.
The spot illustrated the idea that “football season never ends” on the NFL Network, NFL Mobile Live and NFL.com.
“Get On Your Boots,” the first single from U2’s forthcoming album, No Line On The Horizon, played during the commercial when it aired during the Super Bowl on NBC.
“We put a lot of hard work into it,” Carson said. “It was the first Super Bowl commercial for the agency. We wanted it to be great.”
Dozens of MeringCarson employees worked on the project.
The team included Carson; chief executive officer David Mering, who was co-creative director on the project; broadcast producer Liz Ross, who was integral in landing NFL Network as a client; copywriters Scott Conway and Jeffrey Butterworth; and art directors Lucho Ortega and Dennis Millette.
Carson called the Emmy “amazing validation” for the team’s hard work.
MeringCarson first landed the NFL Network as a client in 2008. The agency first did a pro bono job for the network’s Keep Gym in School program, which provides grants to build new tracks and refurbish gyms in schools. A second spot, titled “Fantasy Blues,” was hugely successful, and also nominated for an Emmy in 2009.