AERIAL 360 OVERVIEW
Many teams focus their content solely on the on-field product. That's what fans are the most interested in after all, but it's also out of the control of the content creators. For the Atlanta Falcons aerial stunt videos, the digital team tried to appeal to an even wider audience that would transcend wins and losses while showcasing the team as an industry leader in game entertainment.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the Atlanta Falcons enlisted the help of over 100 Atlanta-based hip-hop artists to perform at the team's Week 12 game against the New Orleans Saints. T.I. led the team out of the tunnel. Jermaine Dupri, Ceelo Green, Jeezy, Quavo, and Big Boi all performed, but it was Ludacris who stole the show and went viral across social media.
In between the 3rd and 4th quarter, Ludacris was hoisted from the rafters, repelling down to the field in between two banners while performing his hit "Get Out The Way." And if that wasn't enough, his performance was captured via a 360-cam that was mounted to Ludacris' microphone.
But that's not all, for the second time during the season, the team's mascot, Freddie Falcon, showed that he actually can fly with an aerial stunt of his own. In Week 1, Freddie zip-lined from one end of Mercedes-Benz Stadium to the other. In Week 12, the mascot followed it up while swinging from one end of the team's scoreboard, falling from the rafters to 75 feet above the ground while hanging upside down.
The three videos went viral across the Falcons' social accounts as well as Ludacris' channels. The media was also buzzing about the stunts with features across traditional media outlets. None of the videos were tied to the game, showcasing the powerful content that can be created outside of the play on the field.
THE STRATEGY
- Utilize the unique capabilities of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and showcase aerial game stunts
- Amplify the Ludacris stunt beyond Atlanta, showcasing the city as the mecca for hip-hop
- Appeal to non-traditional football fans by going beyond the game
- Use social media channels (Falcons and Ludacris) to amplify the video
- Due to music license restrictions, allow Ludacris to post the initial video with audio
- Use a 360 camera to allow for reframing throughout the video
- Allow for earned media around the video and stunt
- Showcase Mercedes-Benz Stadium as an industry leader for in-game entertainment
THE PROCESS
Freddie Jump #1
During the team's Week 1 game, Freddie Falcon was set to zip-line from one end of Mercedes-Benz Stadium to the other. Other teams have tried to capture stunts using traditional video methods, but it's often shaky or seems commonplace. The Falcons' digital team worked with a professional 360 videographer, AJ Sjostrom, to film the stunt in a way that would seem more appropriate for extreme sports like BMX and snowboarding. The team gave the mascot a GoPro MAX 360 camera secured to a selfie stick that was strapped to the mascot's arm. The team attempted several test runs before the pregame stunt. The video was edited quickly, reframing on Freddie as he flipped and rotated to the crowd.
The reaction from social media was instantaneous, generating nearly 30 million video views across various platforms, including earned media for the likes of SportsCenter, Bleacher Report, House of Highlights, ESPN, Draft Kings, Barstool Sports, Yahoo Sports, NFL, Sports Illustrated, and Complex Sports. The total earned media valuation was just shy of $1.4 million.
Freddie Jump #2
For Week 12, Freddie Falcon was at it again, only upping his game by swinging from a line hung from the center of the stadium's roof. The mascot pushed off from the rafters, just on the other side of the halo board, falling to 75 feet from the field and coming close to the other side of the halo board. All this while holding the same 360 camera and hanging upside down. Again, the video was posted as soon as possible, hitting the Atlanta Falcons social channels at the end of the first quarter.
The video went viral on Instagram Reels quickly, reaching 5.7 million videos on the platform. Some of the channels that shared the video include the NFL, NFL Brazil, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Yahoo Sports, Draft Kings, and The Gist. The earned media value was $195,000 according to Blinkfire analytics.
Ludacris Aerial Show
The highlight of the Falcons' "50 Years of Hip Hop" celebration was Ludacris repelling in between the 3rd and 4th quarter timeout. The Atlanta hip-hop artist was secured via harness on both sides of his waist and lowered from the stadium catwalks. He descended all the way to the field while singing his hit song "Get Out the Way" in between two banners. This time, the Falcons digital team secured the same 360 camera to Ludacris' microphone, allowing the angle to move with his hand movements and turns to the audience. The still images captured were almost as good as the video itself. Due to music rights, the Falcons cut the entire video and sent it to Ludacris who posted it on his channels. The team was then able to share a version without audio on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube Shorts.
Views across Ludacris' and Falcons' channels exceeded 9.1 million. Again, traditional and non-traditional media shared the footage. The GMFB crew even referenced the stunt while showing the video on their morning show. Shares across social media included the NFL, ESPN, Barstool Sports, Pat McAfee, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Complex, NFL on FOX, The Athletic, Sports Illustrated, The Score, Sporting News, Yahoo Sports, DraftKings, and Vibe Magazine. The total earned media valuation from all posts was $716,000.
Freddie Holiday Jump
Freddie Falcon themed his final season jump by descending from the rook with a front flip dressed as Santa Claus. The video performed exceptionally well on Instagram Reels with 1.5 million video views, featuring a collab with the NFL and shares from other top accounts.
THE VIDEOS
Taking it one step further, the Falcons' digital team shot a behind-the-scenes video to show Ludacris' ascension to the catwalk and some of the reaction from the media.
The GMFB crew was amazed by the Ludacris performance, calling out the stunt on the show.
RESULTS
Freddie Jump #1
- Facebook: 12.8 million views
- YouTube Shorts: 11.5 million views
- Instagram Reels: 4.2 million views
- Twitter: 2.9 million views
- TikTok: 310,500 views
- Earned Media Post Valuation: $1.6 million (via Blinkfire)
Freddie Jump #2
- Instagram Reels: 5.8 million views
- Twitter: 342,000 views
- TikTok: 53,900 views
- Facebook: 43,700 views
- YouTube Shorts: 5,700 views
- Earned Media Post Valuation: $197,350 (via Blinkfire)
Ludacris Aerial Performance
- Instagram Reels (Ludacris' Account): 5.7 million views
- Twitter (Ludacris' Account): 3.4 million views
- Instagram Reels: 265,000 views
- Facebook: 83,500 views
- TikTok: 83,500 views
- Twitter: 250,000 views
- Earned Media Post Valuation: $810,640 (via Blinkfire)
Freddie Holiday Jump
- Instagram Reels: 1.5 million views
- Facebook: 340,000 views
- Twitter: 173,000 views
- TikTok: 51,500 views
- YouTube Shorts: 5,000 views
- Earned Media Post Valuation: $79,500
Total Views (All 4 Videos)
- Instagram Reels: 17.5 million views
- Facebook: 13.2 million views
- YouTube Shorts: 11.5 million views
- Twitter: 7 million views
- TikTok: 499,400 views
- TOTAL: 49.7 million video views
- Earned Media Post Valuation: $2.68 million