NFL launch new season with It Feels Good To Football

The NFL released its star-studded, feel-good campaign for Kickoff, titled It Feels Good to Football. Created by 72andSunny Los Angeles, the campaign creates an epic pep rally fit for the biggest players in the NFL and coolest football fans in hip-hop and sports, all to mark the official start of the season.

Set to Dr. Dre’s iconic track Still D.R.E., the spot features legendary rappers Lil Wayne, Saweetie and Pusha T, gymnast Simone Biles, TikTok star Josh Richards, and NFL stars, like Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf, the New Orleans Saints’ Cam Jordan, the LA Chargers’ Derwin James and Baltimore Ravens’ Justin Tucker. The mix of music icons, celebrities, influencers and NFL stars appear together in a school gym, gathering for a pep rally ahead of a big game in the :75-second hero spot, It Feels Good to Football.

72andSunny set out to stoke excitement ahead of the new season in a way that would both celebrate, energize and unite NFL fans. The Idea was to tap into the involvement and collective joy of pep rallies, turning the traditional event into the most epic pre-game celebration ever – a mission embodied in the campaign line: ‘It Feels Good To Football’.

The hero spot, directed by The Malloys through production company Superprime, is set to Dr. Dre’s iconic track Still D.R.E., echoing the ground-breaking Super Bowl Halftime Show performance by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg last season. The beat draws a clear parallel between the glitz and entertainment from Super Bowl and brings the momentum into Kickoff. 

The full spot will air during the Kickoff game on September 8, and a  series of teasers will run across online and social from August 25 ahead of September 8 to help build excitement. A variety of cut-down versions of the hero ad in various legs will also run on NFL channels. These will include a series of 15-second versions that feature individual talent starring in the campaign. These individual edits will be shared by talent and for their respective fanbases.

Other notable non-player appearances in the new campaign include: Chomps the Cleveland Browns mascot; cheer squad the Carolina Panthers Top Cats; DJ Liva; Nickelodeon actor and host of NFL on Nickelodeon Young Dylan; Buffalo Bills Super Fan Pinto Ron; green screen guy/social media content creator Frankie Lapenna; and professional boxer Ryan Garcia.