When your star running back is entering his fourth NFL season with a career touchdown total that matches his jersey number, it’s important to capitalize on it.
Go to the grocery store, the gas station or the gym on a game day in Minnesota, and chances are you’ll see at least one – and likely several – No. 33 Minnesota Vikings jerseys.
Dalvin Cook exploded on the scene as a rookie in 2017. Though his debut season was cut short by a torn ACL, he rehabbed, returned and has been racking up yards and touchdowns ever since.
Since Cook had 33 rushing touchdowns to his name entering the 2021 campaign, Vikings Entertainment Network (VEN) decided to dive into each one of the Pro Bowler’s scores.
Better yet – why not have him break them down? Who better to give fans perspective on a touchdown than the man himself?
So, that’s what we did.
IDEATION PROCESS
Members of VEN, along with Vikings public relations staff, collaborated on this unique project.
Where would Cook view the touchdowns?
An initial idea of having Cook watch film in the running backs classroom soon grew into a more theatrical setup: the running back sat alone in the Vikings auditorium. Room lights were dimmed, and external lights were carefully positioned to illuminate Cook as he clicked through career scores on the mammoth video screen.
The only thing missing was popcorn as he reviewed the past four seasons.
Over approximately 45 minutes, Cook reminisced, reflected, and he laughed – a lot. The manufactured movie theater created an intimate and comfortable setting for Cook to offer candid commentary on each scoring play, including the first of his career:
TOUCHDOWN HIGHLIGHTS
FIRST TOUCHDOWN
“Look at me. Look at me. Hold up. First of all, this is my first touchdown of my career. And I wasn’t supposed to be doing this – diving over the pile. KP (running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu) had told me, ‘Don't do it.’ And I dove over the pile, and I thought I lost the ball. You can see me indecisive on the ground right here. I don't know if I scored or not. I’m nervous – just look. I’m nervous. I don’t know.
“I'm like, ‘This is my first touchdown. I can't …' Look at me. 'Did I score?' Touchdown. Touchdown.” - Dalvin Cook
What did Coach Polamalu say to you on the sideline?
“He asked me if I scored. And I told him, 'Yeah, I scored.' That was the first one. This one right here means a lot to me.” -Dalvin Cook
DEC. 2, 2019, TOUCHDOWN VS. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Dalvin Cook reflects on his touchdown when playing against Seattle Seahawks star linebacker Bobby Wagner.
"This one, too. This is what I'm talking about – it's one of the same plays we were running. It's the same play we just ran against Dallas.
"Playing against the Seahawks, scoring anytime against the Seahawks is fun because you've got a linebacker like Bobby Wagner. He's so smart – calling the plays out before the game, before the snap, and doing all that – and just to go score, it's fun." -Dalvin Cook
Wagner: "When he's on his game, I just think that helps [Minnesota] out a lot, period. You have to account for him. You have to put extra people in the box, [on] play-action you'll bite him a little bit harder because, again, you don't want him to go crazy.
"Preparing for him, every time we prepare for [the Vikings], he's definitely someone we lock in on and focus on, and try to make sure he doesn't have a good game. Or doesn't have that many yards. But again, how special of a player he is, he can have a game where he doesn't have a lot of yards but still finds a way to get into the end zone. He's definitely a dynamic player and somebody I have a tremendous amount of respect for."
DEC. 8, 2019 TOUCHDOWN VS DETROIT LIONS
Dalvin Cook looks back fondly on a 4-yard running touchdown against Detroit.
FULL VIDEO OF TOUCHDOWN REACTIONS
You can read the entire feature article and watch each clip in-depth here.
RESULTS
Social media analytics:
All social media accounts drove 1,250+ clicks to the longform article on Vikings.com
There were 372,975 video views on all social platforms
- 22,607 views on Twitter (3 videos) alone
- 286,625 views on Instagram, which was particularly noteworthy due to the layout. The videos were featured as a carousel and had more video views than impressions, which implies people were watching all videos.
- 63,743 views on Facebook
PROJECT IMPACT
Not only was the video the first of its kind for Cook, but a new storytelling opportunity for the Vikings Entertainment Network. Combining the success of Cook, his upbeat personality and archived game footage allowed for a unique look into the dedication and preparation of his game.
Varying and intentional camera angles provided an intimate viewing experience for fans. In addition to the camera capturing Cook straight-on from the front of the room, VEN set up a camera to capture Cook's direct responses to Vikings staff writer/assistant editor Lindsey Young. By designing the setup this way, it creates a feel for the viewer that Cook is speaking directly to you.
For the in-house talent within the Vikings Entertainment Network, producing this video was not only a new challenge, but an important part of the content strategy the team put together for the season.