When your star running back is entering his fourth NFL season with a career touchdown total that matches his jersey number, it’s important to capitalize on it.
Go to the grocery store, the gas station or the gym on a game day in Minnesota, and chances are you’ll see at least one – and likely several – No. 33 Minnesota Vikings jerseys.
Dalvin Cook exploded on the scene as a rookie in 2017. Though his debut season was cut short by a torn ACL, he rehabbed, returned and has been racking up yards and touchdowns ever since.
Our objective was clear: since Cook had 33 rushing touchdowns to his name entering the 2021 campaign, Vikings Entertainment Network (VEN) decided to dive into each one of the Pro Bowler’s scores with him in the driver's seat. Who better to give fans perspective on a touchdown than the man himself?
So that's what we did.
The project brought together members from multiple deparments to collaborate on the execution. Prior to Cook hitting his 33rd touchdown, the team got together to discuss the potential of creating a feature on all of them and the best way to showcase this inofrmation to the Vikings fanbase. Multiple questions were covered, such as:
Where would Cook view the touchdowns?
How do we showcase Cook's vibrant personality in the best way possible?
How do we give the audience new information that they can't just look up on their own?
How do we keep the audience entertained throughout the entirety of the feature?
An initial idea of having Cook watch film in the running backs classroom soon grew into a more theatrical setup: the running back sat alone in the Vikings auditorium. Room lights were dimmed, and external lights were carefully positioned to illuminate Cook as he clicked through career scores on the mammoth video screen.
Additionally, this setup allowed for COVID-19-compliant filming for both the subject and the interviewee.
The only thing missing was popcorn as he reviewed the past four seasons.
Over approximately 45 minutes, Cook reminisced, reflected, and he laughed – a lot. The manufactured movie theater created an intimate and comfortable setting for Cook to offer candid commentary on each scoring play, including the first of his career.
The reactions were then edited by the VEN production team into 33 individual segments to pair nicely with the editorial feature that covered each touchdown. The feature piece included individual breakdowns of each play, as well as top highlights from Cook, who contributed an animated response to many of them.
Social Media Analytics:
All social media accounts drove 1,250+ clicks to the longform article on Vikings.com
There were 372,975 video views on all social platforms
Project Impact:
Not only was the video the first of its kind for Cook, but a new storytelling opportunity for the Vikings Entertainment Network. Combining the success of Cook, his upbeat personality and archived game footage allowed for a unique look into the dedication and preparation of his game.
Varying and intentional camera angles provided an intimate viewing experience for fans. In addition to the camera capturing Cook straight-on from the front of the room, VEN set up a camera to capture Cook's direct responses to Vikings staff writer/assistant editor Lindsey Young. By designing the setup this way, it creates a feel for the viewer that Cook is speaking directly to you.
For the in-house talent within the Vikings Entertainment Network, producing this video was not only a new challenge, but an important part of the content strategy the team put together for the season.
