Matt Besler, Roger Espinoza and Graham Zusi began their professional careers as unproven rookies with no international pedigree. Now they are MLS All-Stars and World Cup veterans.
In 2010, Dom Dwyer was scoring goals and breaking records for a junior college in Texas. Four years later, he was scoring goals and breaking records for the defending MLS Cup champions.
Kansas City has witnessed the remarkable progression of its star soccer players firsthand. Such is the sentiment that guides Sporting Kansas City’s marketing campaign ahead of the 2015 season.
The club introduced its “Made in Kansas City” positioning in two television spots that debuted Sunday during the 57th annual Grammy Awards on KCTV5.
A joint collaboration between Sporting KC and Liquid 9, the spots include cameos from Besler, Espinoza, Zusi and Dwyer.
“Each one of these players has a unique connection to Kansas City, but with a different story to tell,” said Sporting KC Chief Marketing Officer Andy Tretiak. “We wanted to capture those stories within each of the commercials. As they became the players they are today through their development with our club, we thought ‘Made in Kansas City’ was a fitting theme for the campaign.”
The television spot also features high-energy music from a band that was, quite appropriately, made in Kansas City.
Radkey, a punk rock trio from St. Joseph, Missouri, consists of brothers Dee (21, lead vocals and guitar), Solomon (19, drums) and Isaiah Radke (17, bass). Sporting KC established a relationship with the family-titled band when it opened one of the concerts that the Kansas City Power & Light District hosted during 2013 MLS All-Star Game festivities.
“Our idea was to feature a local band within our commercials and extend the idea of being made in Kansas City to highlight our growing music scene,” Tretiak said. “Radkey was an overwhelming first choice and they were excited about being part of the campaign.”
Radkey has already made waves in the punk rock landscape with two EPs and live shows across the U.S., U.K. and parts of Europe. Currently in England recording their first full-length album, the band is slated to perform in April at Coachella, a renowned music festival in Southern California.
“Kansas City means so much to us because we got our start here,” Solomon Radke said. “So I feel like we’ll make a good connection with Sporting KC. Soccer and punk rock music is all fast-paced. It just fits perfectly.”
In addition to the new TV commercials, Sporting KC’s marquee players will be prominently displayed on four billboards throughout the metropolitan area. The outdoor campaign will debut two billboards on Monday and two more on Feb. 16.
- Dom Dwyer: I-435 & Raytown Road (Feb. 9)
- Roger Espinoza: I-29 & I-35 (Feb. 9)
- Dom Dwyer: I-35 & Southwest Trafficway (Feb. 16)
- Graham Zusi: I-35 & Mill Street (Feb. 16)
“Everyone who lives here takes special pride in promoting success stories from Kansas City, and 'local' is a major component of our brand’s DNA,” Tretiak said. “We hope our fans will get behind these stories – four world-class players who blossomed in front of their eyes, representing a club that has become synonymous with what this city is all about.”
