On March 11th, the same day that the World Health Organization declared the Covid crisis a global pandemic, the National Basketball Association announced the suspension of the 2019-20 season. Five months into the games, the NBA became the first national sports league to respond to the growing global crisis. Months later, when it was finally ready for a comeback, Covid restrictions would make the game noticeably different. There would be no team travel and no stadium fans. Playing inside a quarantined complex dubbed “the Orlando Bubble” in Walt Disney World, 22 teams would compete inside an empty stadium. The NBA needed to get fans excited about the return of the game, even though for the first time in the league’s history, fans would not be able to participate. While eager for the game’s return, fans were also wary about the new format. Will it take away from the game?

The NBA wanted to reassure fans that the game would be the same. However, we had another idea. Rather than convince fans they would barely notice the difference, the NBA introduced #AWholeNewGame, a joyous brand campaign that celebrated the changes. The effort embraced the innovation necessitated by the pandemic (like virtual stadium seats, LED courtside viewing and Oculus at home viewing experiences) and celebrated the new game with the NBA’s first black female spokesperson, writer-director Issa Rae, enthusiastically commemorating the return. Taking to the court, Rae would remind fans of the allure of the game and create excitement for the new technologies that would help fans enjoy the game up close and personal, even if they couldn’t be in the stands cheering players on

Basketball fans were eager for the sport to return, but they were also wary of the new Covid-inspired environment. The athletes would be playing the rest of the season in the “Orlando bubble” and they would be playing without fans cheering them on in person. Would the game still feel the same? Instead of trying to convince fans that the rebooted season would be the same game they all knew and loved, the NBA turned what could be viewed as a negative, the fact that it was going to be a different game, into a celebration. #WholeNewGame assured fans that even though the NBA games would be different this year, they would be just as exciting and momentous as they were before Covid-19.

The #WholeNewGame campaign centered on a 60-spot featuring Rae, the first Black female spokesperson for the NBA. The spot opens with Rae standing on an empty court, in an empty stadium. “A lot has been going in,” she explains. “A Lot. You know how they say you don’t miss something until it’s gone? Well, I’ve definitely been missing this.” The stark environment shifts to roaring crowds and on-the-court game action, with Rae digitally superimposed into scenes from earlier games. “Thankfully the wait is over because it’s all back,” she says. “Well, with a slight twist. It’s the game you love, like we’ve never seen it before. 22 teams, all in one place, ready to make history. This isn’t the same NBA. It’s a whole new game.” The spot—a platform celebrating all the innovations that were necessary to return— ran globally and was translated into more than 10 languages

#AWholeNewGame launched with a TV spot, but the campaign became about a lot more than an ad. The description, #AWholeNewGame, became a rallying cry for the return of the season, with athletes using the hashtag in social media, newscasters and writers using it to describe the reboot, and banners showcasing it in arenas. It became ubiquitous and the leading descriptor for the return of the game. It was everywhere. In the first 56 days, the hashtag was used 3.03mm times. The campaign’s total reach was 32.4mm people with 459mm total impressions. The commercial itself yielded 96% positive sentiment, and the phrase was embraced as a powerful articulation of the NBA’s solutions- oriented and progressive spirit all around the globe. The effort helped expand the NBA fan base significantly beyond die-hard fans, increasing positive sentiment in the casual fan.