WELCOME KINDA PHILADELPHIA
The City of Brotherly Love knows it has a reputation. As the 2017 NFL Draft arrives at the Ben Franklin Parkway, Philly fans also know they have some amends to make. And they’re sorry, kinda. Enter possibly the greatest tongue-in-cheek humor marketing campaign of the decade, “Welcome Kinda“. From apologies for running over an opposing team’s corn hole game (oops!) to “accidentally” spilling drinks on fans from other teams (our bad, really!), Welcome Kinda embraces and exemplifies the fervor and ferocity that Philly fans exude.
THE MOST SINCERE LUKEWARM GREETING YOU’LL EVER GET
Philly is collectively aware of how…intense…it is about sports (also food, beer, cheesesteaks–it’s kind of a thing here). And what I love about this campaign is that it makes no apologies, except the tongue-in-cheek ones, about who and how the people of the city are. It does acknowledge, however, that the NFL Draft is a celebratory event and, for the time being at least, we’ll try to keep our “Philly”-ness in check (but no guarantees).
Some of the well-wishes to fans of other football teams include:
[Dallas Fans]: “We don’t even know where to begin to apologize”
[Visiting Fans]: “We wish you the best. And your team the worst”
[Pittsburgh Fans]: “We’re sorry for running over your corn hole game in the parking lot”
It’s rare to find a campaign that does the justice that this one does to the very thing it markets–a feeling, a way of being, person-hood. And while yes, some scoff at sports and others would prefer not to be known or associated in this way, it’s the very reputation of Philadelphia that this campaign markets. Humor and reputation marketing are a tricky pair, and this campaign perfectly matches the delicate balance between self-deprecating humor and brand promotion and preservation.
So welcome to Philadelphia. Kinda.
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