Design

TCU Wows Recruits with Next-Level Gear Display

David Fox
David Fox
December 7, 2017

TCU football’s ascendance into a Big 12 contender signaled the Horned Frogs place as a true power player. An effective strategy to illustrate to recruits this rise and the powerful branding partnerships that resulted from it is a gear display. Advent collaborated with TCU to create a display of Nike gear that goes beyond mannequins in hero pose. Design director Davy Fisher worked with TCU on this display, which blended an audio/visual sizzle reel and custom mannequins to create a powerful experience. “We added a few elements to the Nike display to take it up a notch. We’ve embedded an interactive video element where coaches can show recruits a sizzle reel of gear that goes with our retail-style display.

We utilized a vertical display screen to highlight gear in an A/V or interactive way. We did extensive storyboarding and brainstorming on what this interactive element was going to do. We chose a looping video as the best solution for what TCU needed on their recruit walk.” “We storyboarded several versions. Our final storyboard landed on a player working out like you might see in a Nike ad. We showed him in TCU gear as he’s working out and transition to him in TCU uniforms to showcase all the combinations. We built the set at a local studio, painting the set pieces to look like cement slabs to give the video a rugged look.

For the mannequins, we made it a more active experience rather than something you might see modeling business wear. TCU wanted to do something with the mannequins other than hero pose. They wanted football players in action. The tackling mannequins and the quarterback are custom mannequins. We worked with a company that made mannequins based on sketches. The quarterback mannequin is actually based on a sketch of former TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin. We added some turf and cheerleaders and implied stadium lighting at the top to suggest gameplay.

Advent also worked with TCU on its athletic hall of fame. Advent’s work with Florida State football and North Carolina basketball also featured displays showcasing athletic gear.

David Fox
David Fox
Content Manager & Lead Copywriter