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ESPN kicks off sport-speak campaign for new footie season

ESPN is marking the launch of the new English Premier League season with a new ad campaign in the UK that highlights its insider knowledge of sporting lingo.

‘We speak your sport’, created by Wieden & Kennedy, focuses on ESPN’s ‘of the fan’ brand reputation by tapping into football slang phrases. The creative features various well-known football phrases that may seem nonsensical to non-sports fans.

The phrases featured include “fox in a box”, “giant killer”, “the woodwork”, “knockout” and “hat-trick”.

The campaign is running in several major UK newspapers including The Sun, The Mirror, The Times and The Daily Telegraph, on TV and online video-on-demand activity running across Sky, YouTbue and Base79. Out-of-home installations will also be placed across London at roadside and underground sites.

The ad will additionally run on ESPN’s mobile app, ESPN Goals, which features every goal scored in the Barclay Premier League.

‘We speak your sport’ was devised by ESPN associate marketing director Alex Lowe and Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam executive creative directors Mark Bernath and Eric Quennoy.

David Hing, London