Soccer, Sunglasses, and Super Bowl - Quick Study's Big Day of Campaign Launches
From the Library of Quick Study, February 2025
Hey. Hi. Hello. This is The Other 90, a blog about strategy from your friends at Quick Study. Today’s newsletter takes about 4 minutes to read.
We’re continuing to add to our client roster in 2025, so if you’re looking for some strategic reinforcements let’s chat: hello@quick.study
Let’s start here:
It’s been a big 2 weeks at Quick Study HQ and we’re excited to share 4 reasons why.
Reasons one and two are the work. We often aren’t able to share the work we do because it happens so far upstream with our clients. Maybe it’s building a brand positioning that won’t come to the world for months, or a messaging strategy that is implemented over a long period of time based on our recommendations. Regardless, it’s rare for the direct impact of our work to be visible on a major public stage for quite some time, if ever. Rare, but not impossible. So with that being said, it’s with lots of pride that we can share two Quick Study projects that were just showcased on the biggest day in American sports:
MLS LAUNCHES NEW BRAND CAMPAIGN AHEAD OF 30TH SEASON
We’ve been working as the strategy partner to Cornerstone Agency on Major League Soccer’s annual campaigns since 2023, and recently developed the strategy for the league’s 2025 season. This year is particularly special for many reasons, including:
The 30th team (San Diego FC) joining MLS for the league’s 30th anniversary
Continued year-over-year increases in fan attendance & engagement
More star power on the pitch than ever, from legends like Messi to several young playmakers who will be household names very soon
Building anticipation around the USA hosting both the Club World Cup and regular World Cup over the next two summers
We wanted our strategy to reflect the positive energy of the moment, and send a signal to casual soccer fans that the best time to tune in to MLS is right now. The resulting “Game On” campaign launched with a TV spot featuring Doechii that aired during the Super Bowl pre-game show.
Keep an eye out for more of our work with MLS closer to the All-Star Game this summer and when the playoffs start this fall.
GODADDY RETURNS TO SUPER BOWL FOR FIRST TIME IN EIGHT YEARS
Last summer, we helped GoDaddy better understand the current state of media fragmentation, and built a comms strategy recommendation for a potential Super Bowl ad. Our recommendations around message, timing, and audience approach are all evident in their new campaign, anchored by a Super Bowl spot featuring Walton Goggins and his business Walton Goggins Goggle Glasses (a top notch tongue twister). For example, we recommended that GoDaddy speak to small business owners about 2 things: simplicity and confidence. In the ad, we see Walton echo those needs and how GoDaddy’s Airo product answers them directly. Now we just need to get our hands on a pair of those goggles.
PERCEPTION INTERCEPTION: OUR NEWEST STUDY GUIDE
While we’re especially proud of work we do with our clients, we also take a lot of pride in our Study Guides. In case you missed it, we recently published our first research paper of the year. Perception Interception digs into the conundrum of the tuned out consumer – why it’s happening, how many consumers are tuning out advertising, and how to reach them effectively moving forward. In the Study Guide, we talk a lot about brands needing to be willing to self-disrupt in order to get ahead of the curve and shift perception. Hoping for trend cycles to go your way or relying on nostalgia for your brand’s past are not forward-thinking ways of fixing the perception of your brand. You must be open to self-disruption in order to create effective, long-term change.
You can read all about shifting perception in our new Study Guide, available on our website. And if you’re looking for some lunch-and-learns for your office this year, we now offer Study Breaks, which are interactive presentations based on our independent research. Reach out if you’re interested in booking a Study Break for your team in 2025.
PITCHING IS ABOUT PASSION
Our 4th reason for excitement is that Quick Study just won our biggest project ever. We can’t share any specifics at the moment, but over on LinkedIn, Alexa penned some thoughts on how to put your best foot forward when pitching. A few gems from her post:
“Clients want to work with people who care as much as they do.”
“Doing your homework signals respect and builds trust.”
“It’s tempting to focus on the challenges… but don’t discount the good.”
Stay tuned for more on this project in the future, but for now, just know we’re grateful to everyone who follows and promotes Quick Study to their friends and colleagues.
The Other 90 is written by Rob Engelsman, a former baby model and now Cofounder & Strategy Partner at Quick Study. To find out more about how we help brands and agencies get to smarter plans faster, email hello@quick.study. You can also find Quick Study on LinkedIn.