There is no greater glory for an NHL player than to have their named engraved upon the holy grail of the sport — The Stanley Cup.
For the NHL’s 100th year, the league is celebrating not only its centennial but the Cup as well, which pre-dates professional hockey.
Spelling, an emotional new spot from Cutters Studios created by Baby Bear’s Porridge Productions and directed by Samuel Bayer, features 23 NHL greats whose names appear on the cup.
Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky, Phil Esposito, Bobby Orr and Jonathan Toews are among the legends in the cast.
“It was a thrill to work with original footage of all those legends I’d watched in decades of highlight reels,” said Editor Steve Bell of Cutters Studios New York.
“This is the first time this many hockey superstars have ever been brought together for a shoot. That made this whole project pretty special for all of us, and it felt like even the players were enjoying it.”
In an interview with Adweek, NHL EVP and Chief Brand Officer, Brian Jennings, had this to say, “When you look at the Stanley Cup, the names jump out at you, and every one of them has a story.” He added, “When players get together and lift that cup for the first time, their emotions come pouring out. They’ve been dreaming about this moment since they were kids. The campaign focuses on that tradition.”
Earlier this year, every player featured were named to the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players of All Time, and were honored in a ceremony at the 2017 All-Star Game in Los Angeles. The NHL Centennial Fan Arena, an interactive fan experience featuring the Stanley Cup and digital displays, video and other historical memorabilia, is visiting all NHL markets across North America in 2017.
Spelling debuts during Game 1 of the conference finals this week.
CREDITS:
Client: NHL
EVP/CBO, Marketing: Brian Jennings
Group VP, Marketing: Casey Hall
Senior Manager, Marketing: Josh Dubin
On Camera Talents: Mike Bossy, Ray Bourque, Martin Brodeur, Bobby Clarke, Sidney Crosby, Phil Esposito, Sergei Fedorov, Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Hull, Brett Hull, Dave Keon, Mario Lemieux, Nicklas Lidstrom, Mike Modano, Mark Messier, Bobby Orr, Denis Potvin, Patrick Roy, Teemu Selanne, Billy Smith, Jonathan Toews, Bryan Trottier, Steve Yzerman
Creative Shop: Baby Bear’s Porridge Productions
Production Company: Superprime Films
Director: Samuel Bayer
Director of Photography: Samuel Bayer
Managing Director/EP: Rebecca Skinner
Managing Director/Sales: Michelle Ross
Managing Director: Josh Lesher
Executive Producer/Head of Production: Roger Zorovich
Producer: David Kemp
Editorial, Audio and Finishing Company: Cutters Studios
Editor: Steve Bell
Assistant Editor: Roz Domingo
Flame Artist: Moises Tavera
Audio Mixer: TJ Dumser
Senior Producer: Stephanie Rose
Executive Producer: Elizabeth Krajewski
Color Correction Company: Twelve
Color: Lez Rudge
Music: Future Perfect
Stock Footage: NHL Archives
LA-Based Colin Costello writes for film, TV, advertising and of course, Reel Chicago. Follow him on Twitter @colincostello10.
