Fanatics welcomes NFL rookies to unfamiliar cities with surprise videos from locals and celebs

All the pomp and circumstance around each new NFL season obscures a fundamental truth about the rookies joining the league: They’re often heading to a completely new city, where they may know few, if any, people—and will have to emotionally adjust at the same time as they’re trying to make an immediate impact on the team. It’s a lot. But Fanatics recognizes that stress, and offered many of this year’s rookies a sweet surprise: welcome videos from local fans as well as celebs who root for those teams. Also read: Topps melds past and future in nostalgic card-collecting spot Rookies including Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Malik Nabers, Keon Coleman, Brock Bowers, Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr. and JJ McCarthy sat down with Fanatics in May for what they thought would be routine interviews during NFLPA Rookie Premiere Weekend in Los Angeles. Instead, as seen in the social video above, they got heartwarming messages that should ease their transition to their unfamiliar environment. The players’ authentic, emotional responses to the videos say it all—conveying a sense of relief, more than anything, that a brand is seeing them as people, just not as players. The film was created in-house and directed by Nina Meredith. More Creativity coverage from Ad Age: Sign up for our daily Creativity newsletter to see the best stories of the day.

Fanatics welcomes NFL rookies to unfamiliar cities with surprise videos from locals and celebs

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