2021 SHORTLIST

hashtagsportsawards

#DRIVEON CAMPAIGN

Entrant Company: LPGA

FINALIST

Best Women's Sports Storytelling

#DriveOn Campaign

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

Drive On is a different kind of message for the LPGA. It’s less about golf and more about the golfer - who she is, where she’s from and her “why” in life. In short, Drive On is about the stories behind the players.

How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?

Through the Drive On campaign the LPGA has a renewed focus on athlete storytelling, with the goal of showcasing diverse players from different backgrounds and debunk some of the stereotypes surrounding golf.

It has always been about putting our athletes first, rather than clicks or engagement numbers for the LPGA. As evidence, we encourage our athletes to post the videos first from their own social media channels and develop their own captions to drive home the fact that it is their story, we are just helping to provide an outlet for amplifying it.

One of the best examples is with the Haley Moore story. Haley overcame severe bullying to achieve her dreams and make it to the LPGA. To tell her unique story we worked with Haley on a script for a 30-second video, a written piece from Haley’s perspective and then an additional written piece from her mother’s perspective for our sister website the ‘LPGA Women’s Network’ on the pain of parenting a bullied child. Telling her story from two perspectives provided even more opportunities for connection with fans. To this day, we get comments on any post about Haley with encouraging words from fans who read her story.

 

Objective: Over the past few years, the LPGA has had more new sponsors come on board than at any time in its history. In a very real sense, our sponsors, players and fans led us to “Drive On,’ which officially debuted in March 2019. More companies want to be associated with what the LPGA and its members stand for – on and off the golf course. They see our athletes as positive, visible leaders and role models who represent the important values of diversity, authenticity, a commitment to excellence and fierce determination. And they appreciate our nearly 70-year track record of “driving on” to break barriers and provide opportunities for women.

Drive On isn’t just about golf and it isn’t just about women. It’s about the motivating power of big dreams and the resolve to defy convention and stereotypes. It’s about finding the vision to see beyond what has already been done and to believe something greater is possible.

We think now is the right time to celebrate that spirit of determination – that drive – within. This is the moment to shine a light on the stories of dedication, resilience and sheer grit that it takes to excel.

 

Strategy & Execution: Storytelling is at the heart of our common humanity. It’s how we communicate and connect. Drive On is about creating that bond; about bringing more fans and sponsors to the LPGA, and, ultimately, changing the face of golf.

With every ‘Drive On’ story the LPGA has told there has been an accompanying video piece, ranging from long-form to 30-second commercial spots, and at minimum a first-person article from the athlete’s point of view. We’ve found that the video often drives initial interest for fans to want to learn more about the player’s story, which they can do through the written piece which explores or expands on a particular aspect of their life and journey. By providing different ways for fans to consume the athlete’s story, we deepen the connection with fans and hope that they will be more likely to follow them on the LPGA Tour and tune in to watch tournaments or attend in person.

 

Results:

A total of 17 different Drive On stories have been told through LPGA platforms, and through those stories we have seen almost 40 million impressions on social, and over 2 million video views on social. On LPGA.com the Drive On videos have garnered close to 200,000 impressions and the first-person articles over 100,000 views. The videos have been seen millions more times on TV. All indicators are up for the Drive On campaign: viewership and engagement; brand strength; sponsor interest in the LPGA; and the number of women and girls playing golf.

A large part of what we deem a success at the LPGA is based on player interest and level of engagement. The consistent positive feedback we get from players has been encouraging, and we get players coming to us wanting us to tell their stories. While perhaps not quantifiable, any content creator will tell you that's a win.

Drive On is a journey. And the brand platform has taken it to places we never imagined two years ago. When it was safe to resume play after the COVID-19 lockdown, it was only right that the new events added to the LPGA schedule were called Drive On Championships.

PRODUCTION

LPGA, Ogilvy, Bless You Films

 

CREDITS

Chief Brand and Communications Officer
LPGA
 
VP, Brand Management & Creative Services
LPGA
 
Art Director/Sr. Technical Director
LPGA
 
Producer
LPGA
 
Managing Editor
LPGA
 
VP, Communications
LPGA
 
Manager, Integrated Content
LPGA
 
Manager, Integrated Content
LPGA
 
Chief Creative Officer
Ogilvy
 
Creative Director
Ogilvy
 
Executive Creative Director
Ogilvy
 
Alex Colby
Co-Founder & Creative Director
Bless You Films
 
William Thomas
Director
Bless You Films
 

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