Bringing New Era into the AI era.
New Era’s NFL Sideline program isn’t just another product campaign. It’s one of the brand’s most visible and revenue-driving initiatives for the biggest sports league in the world. Which is why they asked The Martin Group to “think outside the box” for their 2024 collection launch. They needed a concept that would be bold enough to turn heads at retail while remaining flexible enough to scale across all 32 NFL teams. Creative that would resonate with league ambassadors, retail buyers, and fans—while standing apart from a long line of past executions. And with a growing number of league programs launching each season, it was essential that our approach not only pushed the work forward, but reinforced New Era’s leadership in the category.
We started with a desire to capture the larger-than-life, often surreal styling of ‘80s and ‘90s sports media. How could we draw inspiration in a way that felt modern and relevant today? That idea led us to experiment with generative AI—using it as a visual springboard to spark epic interpretations of each team’s home environment. A snow-covered tundra filled with buffalo for Buffalo. Cowboys roaming the desert outside AT&T Stadium for Dallas. Fighter jets soaring through the skies for New York. After creating the initial scenes, we partnered with illustrators and designers to refine each environment and place star athletes in the foregrounds, turning them into fully ownable backdrops. The final creative gave New Era a flexible, ownable look for their NFL Sideline campaign, with assets that scaled across athlete content, product showcases, and social rollouts.
Our 2024 NFL Sideline campaign exceeded expectations—earning praise from our clients, retailers, league partners, and brand ambassadors. The concept was extended to promote New Era’s Cold Weather product line, and the campaign earned multiple wins at the Buffalo American Advertising Awards (ADDYs). More importantly, it showcased our ability to blend emerging tech with real human insight to create compelling work for the brands we partner with.