Today, the Big 12 Conference has announced its partnership with independent creative agency, Translation, to contemporize the brand and scale its national relevance to appeal to a younger, more diverse audience. As its lead agency, Translation will work with longstanding Big 12 partner LDWW to develop the Conference’s brand narrative moving forward.
As the world’s most culturally influential creative agency, Translation is known for creating breakthrough sports campaigns having worked with the NFL, NBA, State Farm, Beats By Dre, Brooklyn Nets, Nike, New York Knicks, and more.
“It is critically important that we continue to align the Conference and its member institutions with partners that know how to innovate and elevate us,” commented Big 12 Conference Commissioner Brett Yormark. “Translation’s legacy in creating culturally rich content and experiences on behalf of major sports leagues and brands makes their team a perfect partner to bring the Big 12 into its next wave of growth.”
With the Conference scaling into eight major markets, Translation will offer strategic, cultural, and creative expertise to co-author the next wave of brand growth. Translation will reimagine how the Big 12 shows up in youth culture, appealing to current and prospective student-athletes by bridging the worlds of storytelling and culture.
“We believe in the convergence of culture, technology, and storytelling to power the modern-day student-athlete. The latest expansion of the Big 12 is an unparalleled opportunity to bring a community of students, college sports fans, and athletes together through the influence of music and creators,” said Steve Stoute, Founder, and CEO of Translation. “We’re looking forward to bringing the Big 12 brand to untapped audiences, creating a new standard for how a sports conference shows up.”
Beginning July 1, 2023, the Big 12 Conference expands to 14 members – Baylor, BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, and West Virginia – growing from five states and 40.2 million people to eight states with more than 76.5 million people.
Translation’s fluency with building fanbases, movements, and tight-knit communities will not only empower how the Big 12 Conference will stand out nationally, building influence that transcends demography to impact youth culture. The campaign will bring Big 12 to life, aligning the brand with the power of creators and investing in culturally relevant partnerships.
For almost two decades, Translation has helped global brands harness the power of culture. Translation’s legacy is deeply rooted in sports, fostering a one-of-a-kind approach to advertising paired with unparalleled creative vision. Translation partners with brands and creators to build and grow disruptive platforms that promotes deeper community engagement.
ABOUT BIG 12 CONFERENCE
The Big 12 Conference is comprised of 10 Universities – Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia. The Big 12 is an NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics conference that encompasses five states with over 40 million people within its geographic footprint. In its 27th year, the Conference has produced over 780 Academic All-America selections and claimed national championship team titles in 20 of its 23 sponsored sports. Its student-athletes and teams have combined for 718 individual NCAA titles and 77 team national championships. Nearly 5,000 student-athletes from across the United States and around the World compete annually under the Big 12 banner. For more information, visit Big12Sports.com and follow the Conference on Facebook (Facebook.com/Big12), Twitter (@Big12Conference), Instagram (Instagram.com/big12conference/) and YouTube (YouTube.com/Big12Conference).
ABOUT TRANSLATION
Translation is an independent creative agency built to help ambitious brands harness the power of culture to solve their biggest challenges. For over 15 years, Translation has partnered with brands and creators to build and grow disruptive platforms that foster deeper community engagement. This experience has given us unparalleled insight into the dynamics of culture and affinities that link people together. Backed by Alphabet, Andreessen Horowitz, and 21st Century Fox, we are reimagining how brands and artists tell their stories, create value, and push culture forward. For more information, visit translationllc.com and follow us on Instagram (@wearetranslation) and Twitter (@pulseofculture).
