Philadelphia 76ers launch unflinchingly honest localized marketing campaign

Published October 3, 2013 at 9:12 am

Sometimes the best advertising and marketing strategies involve a humble, candid approach that lets consumers know that a brand truly understands how they feel. This appears to have been the idea behind the Philadelphia 76ers’ new localized marketing campaign, which is constructed around the 2013-2014 season slogan “Together We Build.”

Let’s face it — not every NBA basketball team can be as invincible as the Miami Heat is now or as dominant as the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have been over the years. And, for a team like the 76ers that hasn’t won a championship since 1983 and whose last appearance in the finals was more than a decade ago, it’s important to keep fans feeling connected.

The 76ers’ localized marketing campaign, which consists mainly of outdoor and print advertising, acknowledges the difficulties that lie ahead for the team and compares them to the challenges that the Founding Fathers faced while developing their vision for the United States.

“Philadelphia is filled with landmarks hearkening back to those historic days, that speak to the city’s steadfastness in the face of adversity, and point to the sweet success achieved with an indomitable spirit,” states the 76ers’ press release.

With this in mind, the advertisements include “the meshing of iconic Philadelphia structures with industrial objects, symbolizing the building blocks needed to work toward greatness.”

While candid marketing certainly doesn’t win NBA championships, it does have the power to win over the audience that it’s trying to reach. Whether or not the team is able to successfully rebuild this year remains to be seen, but at least its new advertising campaign is a slam dunk.