Objective

This series was first launched in 2021 when our content had to adhere to the constraints of the NFL’s rules around the pandemic. The team looked at it as a unique way to engage with our players from a distance. There was no formal introduction of this content series, we just put up a couple of signs leading players to the room and let their curiosity handle the rest. Since then, it’s evolved into a unique opportunity to test the wits our athletes in a setting that’s very different from being on a football field. Each week we try to create something new and unique that players won’t see coming.

The series achieves:

• Organic Engagement: Friday Challenge has been able to build a reputation within the facility for being off the wall and something that’s fun to participate in after practice concludes on Friday afternoon. We never push our players to participate, and we never hint at what’s coming next. We let our players lead the charge on getting more guys to join in. This organic aspect is something that I think not only the players appreciate, but the fans as well. By making it something that players want to do instead of have to do really changes the dynamic of the content itself.
• Passive Content Capture: By utilizing unattended Go-Pros to capture the content, our players can focus on the challenge at hand without feeling self-conscious that someone is in the room filming them and judging their every move. This allows for them to be more of their authentic self.
• Eliminate Barriers for Participation: We consciously choose to set this up in the secondary locker room, because having it near where players will already be removes even the slightest hesitation that might come with having to walk to a location farther away. We also do this on Friday afternoons, because at that point the “hay is in the barn” and the majority of meetings and practices are done for the week, so players tend to be in a much more laidback mood and therefore more eager to participate in something slightly strange.

Strategy

Each week the Vikings content team brainstorms some sort of task that we want players to try and complete (i.e. opening a safe). From there, the social content producer walks things back step by step to provide unique twists and turns. For instance, maybe the safe will be hidden, so that initially players won’t even know what they’re looking for. In order to find that safe, we will put a doorbell buzzer inside it and then look for where to hide the doorbell, and then continue down that path… we do this until we reach what seems like a logical starting point.

As the social content producer goes through each step of the challenge, they make to make sure it’s something that someone could reasonably figure out without any help. If no one can solve the challenge, there is no point. For each juncture in the challenge, we try to provide multiple solutions to better the odds of players reaching the end.

Everything needs be buttoned up by Friday morning, because that’s when the set up process begins. Every detail needs to be stripped back so players can focus on what’s important in the challenge and not get hung up on any details that play no real role.

The entire room is prepared in the hour and a half that players are out at practice. When they go out for practice, the room is empty and when they come back in, things are ready to go.

The content is primarily formatted for longer form edits (YouTube, Twitter, IG Swipes) but also consciously built out with specific moments in mind that could make strong short form clips for TikTok and Reels.

Additionally, because none of the players are mic’d up, the team transcribes the entire video to ensure that viewers are able to follow along with what’s being said and understand the logic behind the choices being made.

Results

• 2.5 million views on TikTok
• 2+ million views on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook
• 30 different players voluntary participated (56% of an NFL roster)
• Only $1,170 were spent across 6 episodes

Media