As a freelancer working with Hyphenated.co, I had the opportunity to help shape the strategy for Nike Diamond and support their initiatives to engage young girls in softball.

My role was to research the target audience (in this case, girls ages 7-14) and create a library of truths about their experiences with the world and on the field. This uncovered a lot about how they view themselves and what matters most to them: things that make them proud, who they are inspired by, and what it feels like to be a part of a team.

This research lead us to a really clear strategy: Growing the game is not really about romanticizing the traditions, rules, playbooks or lore of ‘America’s greatest pastime.’ To this next generation, it’s all about the progress they’re making– finding their own style + the role each person can play on a team. We needed to focus on what it means to be a diamond player…not on the sport itself.

The platform:
Same ball. Same bat. New players. And this is how we play.

After delivering the brief, I worked alongside creative teams for the first few rounds of creative. From there, the Hyphenated team …knocked it out of the park… taking it through production and final executions. The campaign kicked off at All Star weekend in Los Angeles in 2022, with the “This is How We Play” film (above) and supporting assets that injected some much needed energy and culture to the world of diamond sports.

The results:
In 2022, Diamond Sports consideration is rising with 20% fewer parents reporting their children lost interest.
Big win!