The Clean Jersey Swap presented an opportunity to solve a problem for NFL players. Therefore we were able to truly partner with them, making players advocates on social media with every swap they shared to their million+ followers. While there was broadcast to inform the masses of the Clean Jersey Swap’s existence, the heart of the campaign lived on social where fans could see the swaps actually happening week after week. Finally, thanks to the authentic nature of the program and the partnership, the majority of swaps posted by players was done so using $0 of any media or production

The jersey swap is a beloved NFL tradition where opponents meet at midfield and exchange their game-worn jerseys. But in 2020 the NFL banned the jersey swap due to COVID-19. Tide saw a solution in its newest product, Tide Hygienic Clean, and the Clean Jersey Swap was born. We worked with equipment managers to collect jerseys, wash them, and ship them to their new owners. Over the course of the program, 1400+ players swapped. Players became social media influencers, posting their swapped jerseys online and making every post a demo for Tide Hygienic Clean. The campaign amassed 800+ million earned media impressions and increased sales by 22% - outselling the entire Persil line.

Tide reimagined the jersey swap and created the first-ever Clean Jersey Swap, working with equipment managers across all 32 teams to collect jerseys, wash them, and ship them to their new owners. Over the course of the season, over 1400 players swapped, and became influencers posting their swapped jerseys on Twitter and Instagram, and making every post a demo for Tide Hygienic Clean. ESPN organically featured the return of the swap, crediting Tide and delving into its importance among players. We even extended the swap to fans for the first time through a weekly Twitter sweepstakes and made a few surprise deliveries to deserving fans along the way. On broadcast, we turned NFL legend Peyton Manning into a socially-distanced robot who spread the word around the league and to viewers at home.

Tide has been a sponsor of the NFL for many seasons, and each year the brand aims to connect with fans in an authentic way. Saving the jersey swap was the perfect opportunity to position Tide Hygienic Clean as a hero in the category, while speaking to fans through a tradition they love. No other brand has the same deep-cleaning power, thus making Tide’s superiority clear. As the most popular sport in America, partnering with the NFL enabled us to spread mass awareness of the product in a positive and engaging way, utilizing platforms like Twitter and Instagram, which were the authentic places players would normally interact and share swaps with their followers.

The jersey swap ban was announced on July 9th, 2020. By September 7th, news of the Tide / NFL partnership that would restore the swap was leaked on Twitter, and just days later the first jersey swap was under way. For the entire NFL season, Tide worked with equipment managers across every team to inform players they were eligible to swap, collect the jerseys, wash them in Tide Hygienic Clean, and deliver them to their new owners. To announce the program large-scale, we created 4 spots for broadcast featuring Peyton Manning as a socially-distanced robot who informed players and helped to deliver the goods. Each week, players shared their swapped jerseys on Instagram and Twitter, and ESPN even created a 5 minute piece on the program. Ultimately, Tide facilitated over 1400 swaps throughout the course of the season, saving a beloved tradition through the power of clean.

The campaign officially ran for 17 weeks, amassing 800+ million earned media impressions, and increasing sales of Tide Hygienic Clean by 22% - outselling the entire Persil line. Plus, in a year of unprecedented negative social conversation, stories of the Clean Jersey Swap garnered 99% positive-neutral social sentiment.