FROM US Figure Skating
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – U.S. Figure Skating’s Get Up℠ campaign, a long-term, multi-platform awareness and engagement initiative, launched last week in conjunction with 2016 Progressive Skate America.
Get Up℠ was introduced when campaign spokesperson Scott Hamilton appeared on TODAY, while the Get Up℠ website, www.WeGetUp.com, officially launched earlier along with a multichannel paid media campaign.
WeGetUp.com includes films created by British film director Rob Chiu, featuring U.S. Figure Skating members discovered in a nationwide search; interviews with Team USA skaters; inspirational Get Up℠ stories; a celebration of organizations making a positive impact in their communities; and much more.
“With the upcoming 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and U.S. Figure Skating’s 100th anniversary approaching in 2021, the Get Up℠ campaign comes at an important point in U.S. Figure Skating’s history,” said Sam Auxier, president of U.S. Figure Skating. “This campaign is a significant investment in the future of our sport.”
A 60-second TV commercial will run during figure skating programming throughout the coming season and will make its network premiere Saturday during NBC’s live coverage of Skate America (4:30 p.m. ET) from Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
Campaign assets, also featuring U.S. Figure Skating members, will be highlighted on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter, via banner ads and pre-roll video, at rinks nationwide and at U.S. Figure Skating events.
U.S. Figure Skating’s goal is to create a movement that people can relate to, get involved in, and stand behind.
“The Get Up℠ campaign is about being fearless in the face of falling,” said Ramsey Baker, chief marketing officer of U.S. Figure Skating. “We hope to inspire those who join our movement to take on life’s challenges with renewed vigor, whether they are a figure skater, football player, student, parent or professional. We all fall, it’s how we get up that matters.”
The campaign encourages people to share their Get Up℠ moments, whether connected to the sport or not, in the form of pictures, videos or posts tagged #GetUp.
The unveiling of Get Up℠ comes more than two years after U.S. Figure Skating approved a series of strategic initiatives with the directive of increasing exposure and promoting the sport to a broader audience, both on and off the ice.
Based on research conducted during the fall of 2014 by Insight Strategy Group (New York City) looking at U.S. Figure Skating’s brand and image, the underlying principle of the campaign is to clearly position the strength, resilience and determination it takes to be a figure skater and ultimately grow membership and viewership, with a specific focus on reaching a younger audience and engaging with them on relatable topics in new forms of non-traditional media.
In September 2015, U.S. Figure Skating hired creative and media agencies Tea and Water (New York, London, Beijing) and Supply Interactive (Boulder, Colorado) to develop a strategic campaign, design creative assets and execute a paid media plan.
Additional components of the campaign will be rolled out over the next 18 months with the campaign running through the end of the 2017-18 figure skating season that will be highlighted by the 2018 Olympic Games.
Learn more at www.wegetup.com.
