Dick's Sporting Goods Taps Jason Aldean in New Campaign

Country music star Jason Aldean provides a glimpse into his Southern childhood roots in a new campaign from Field & Stream, the brand owned and operated by Coraopolis, Penn.-based Dick's Sporting Goods. The performer is the fishing, hunting and camping brand's first brand ambassador, and will appear in a series of spots and long-form video breaking on Monday. In the two-minute video, Mr. Aldean, who is known for hits like "Dirt Road Anthem," and "Burnin' It Down," talks with his dad, Barry Williams, around a campfire about their first hunting trips together. Mr. Aldean used to wear socks on his hands as gloves, and reminisces about the rush of killing a deer. "The beauty of the Field & Stream brand is that it very much has an emotional connection with consumers," said Lauren Hobart, exec VP-chief marketing officer at Dick's, which operates around 640 namesake stores and more than 20 Field & Stream locations, in addition to 73 Golf Galaxy shops. She noted that the brand has made a habit of tapping into the special memories of outdoorsmen, but that this campaign pushes it forward by emphasizing the new traditions that can be formed with Field & Stream equipment. With national spots airing on ESPN, this is a larger campaign for the brand, which previously relied on targeted cable media buys only, Ms. Hobart said. She said that Mr. Aldean, with his social following, should help the brand reach new customers; he is also truly passionate about hunting and fishing. "Jason is the perfect partner for us," she added. "Not only is he a country music star that can bring in a whole new demographic, but he's also known already as an avid outdoorsman." The ads, which include two 15-second spots and one 30-second spot, will begin airing this week. Field & Stream worked with Brunner, which the brand appointed its agency of record last year. Dick's, which opened its first Field & Stream store three years ago, is also adding to its store fleet by attaching Field & Stream and Golf Galaxy to new Dick's locations to house all three brands under one roof for consumers. The 68-year-old chain spent $74.2 million on measured media last year, according to Ad Age's Datacenter. Sales for the year were up 6.7% to $7.2 billion.

Dick's Sporting Goods Taps Jason Aldean in New Campaign

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