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A look at the Washington Football Team’s new creative hire

Marketing Brew talked to the team’s chief creative officer about his new gig.
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Whenever the Washington Football Team eventually lands on a name, it’s going to be Will Misselbrook’s job to sell it. The franchise’s chief creative and digital officer—a role that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the NFL—just finished his first week with the team and gave Marketing Brew a look at what’s next.

A bit of background: After a long refusal to drop its former name, which was widely seen as a slur, the franchise finally caved amid public uproar last summer. It’s since gone by the Washington Football Team, and its new name and identity are expected to debut in 2022.

That’s where Misselbrook comes in. With a background spanning creative agencies, publishers, and brands, he’s the kind of marketer who uses terms like “content frontier.”

  • “The rebrand is an opportunity for us to really evolve our own brand story,” he told Marketing Brew. “We will certainly use the legacy and the historical element of the Washington Football Team as a foundation, but build upon that.”
  • In practice, he’ll be tasked with finding branded partnerships and expanding media projects, like the team’s Unfiltered series. Rolled out last year, Unfiltered’s shows touch on everything from player fashion to gaming and tech.

Misselbrook’s job is to “think bigger”—he called his new employer a “media powerhouse”—and open up the tent of fans to not just those who were appalled by the Washington Football Team’s previous name, but beyond the typical regional constraints of the sport. “I personally see us going beyond the Beltway, not just nationwide but internationally recognized as well,” he said.

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Marketing Brew informs marketing pros of the latest on brand strategy, social media, and ad tech via our weekday newsletter, virtual events, marketing conferences, and digital guides.

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