Robert Griffin III is getting a second crack at college football, thanks to Yahoo Fantasy.
The star quarterback turned broadcaster returns to Baylor in Yahoo Sports’ entertaining new spot, moving into a dorm, studying late into the night and preparing as though another college season awaits—even though it’s been 15 years since his Heisman Trophy-winning season.
The punchline arrives when he realizes he can’t actually return to play the game on the field, but he can play the new Yahoo College Fantasy Football game. The spot was created by BBDO and directed by Martín Holzman of Partizan.
The campaign arrives as Yahoo opens drafting for its recently introduced college fantasy game. The platform is built around players from the Power Four conferences (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC) along with Notre Dame, features expanded roster sizes and adds a team offense position that’s new to Yahoo’s fantasy offerings.
Josh Line, chief marketing officer of Yahoo, said Griffin was the ideal talent to launch the game, giving his iconic college football history and his magnetic personality generally.
“We always have a filter for our partnerships. We want to work with ‘Yahoos’—people who embody the ethos of the brand, who have big personalities and bring that to the table,” line said. “RGIII is a Heisman Trophy winner, and he was in on the joke. We needed someone who’d be comfortable doing that and confident enough in the premise. He was kind of perfect for it.”
Line said Griffin bought into the premise and whole vibe around the production.
“On set there was lots of laughter. People were really into it,” he said. “We made these purple varsity jackets with Yahoo Y’s on them, and he wore one through the airport afterward. That’s what you want when you’re doing this kind of thing, that enthusiasm and belief in what we’re doing together.”
Griffin told Ad Age it was a genuine, authentic partnership—he uses Yahoo Mail himself—and that the concept was a fun one to dive into.
“Most people who have been to college say it was some of the best years of their lives. So going back to school and reliving that is always going to be fun,” he said. “College football is more exciting than ever right now. Despite all of the things that are changing, the one thing that’s not changing is the fans’ passion for the game. I think this [fantasy game] is going to add to that even more.”
Rebuilding relevance through product
The ad is part of a broader marketing push around Yahoo fantasy. Beginning Aug. 10, a month-long promotion called “29 Days of Fantasy” will unveil a new in-game feature each day to mark the 29th season of the flagship Yahoo Fantasy Football.
Yahoo said last season marked a record year for participation in its fantasy football product. Also, more than one-third of people who registered for the college fantasy game in its first week were new to Yahoo Fantasy, suggesting the format is attracting first-time users.
Line said the Yahoo College Fantasy Football game and campaign behind it are emblematic of Yahoo’s approach lately—a focus on product with playful marketing to support it.
“Over the last couple of years, Yahoo has had a real product renaissance. Every product across our portfolio has been rebuilt, redesigned or relaunched. We like to say every pixel is new,” he said. “As a marketing team, that gives us so much to work with. That’s central to rebuilding relevance. The product experience has to deliver, and now we’ve got the material to work with.
“We’re taking an increasing number of shots on goal across the portfolio. That’s especially true for sports because of the nature of these fandoms. They’re incredibly engaged. So sports and fantasy are definitely among the ways we’re getting Yahoo back out there as a brand.”
The campaign will appear across Yahoo’s social channels including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Drafts for Yahoo College Fantasy Football are now open, with scoring set to begin when the college football season kicks off on Sept. 3.
Ad Age spoke more with Griffin about the campaign and how he looks back on his college experience today.
How comfortable are you being in front of the camera in ads like this?
Robert Griffin III: It’s more about everyone else involved than me as the quote-unquote talent. The directors, the producers, the lighting specialists, the people making sure your hair, makeup and everything are on point—they create an environment that’s very, very comfortable. Then the other actors you have on set with you make it easy.
For me, it’s just about being comfortable with who I am. As a quarterback having to lead organizations—whether it’s as a high school quarterback, a college quarterback or an NFL quarterback—you have to be comfortable in your own skin.
This is something I’d love to do more of because I think it’s within my skill set. But it’s always going to come down to having great people around you who can make it all seem really natural.
You were at Cannes Lions this year. How appealing is the brand world to you at the moment?
Going to Cannes Lions was a great experience. Just being around so many incredible people and so many amazing brands. With the way the marketing and advertising business is moving, I think I’ve been able to position myself to at least prove to brands that I can be one of their guys for the foreseeable future.
That’s the case here with Yahoo. I’m hoping to take this partnership and not have it just be a one-year thing but a lifetime thing. That would be the goal, and I’m excited about that possibility.
I heard you did the Yahoo yodel at the end of the spot. How did that go? Did you have to practice that?
Listen, I’ve got to be a thousand percent honest with you. The first one was horrendous. But we got it on track with the second one, and at that point I only had to do two more after that. Again, you’ve just got to be comfortable in your own skin. Boom—we knocked it out in a few more takes, so that was fun.
You’re 15 years removed from your Baylor days. How do you look back at your time there as part of your legacy today?
Yeah, it’s a great question, because when you’re in the midst of it, it’s very difficult to put into words the experience or what it means to you. Now I’m sitting here. I’m 36 years old. My time there just reminds me of going from being a young boy to turning into a young man.
The relationships I built at Baylor University—with my teammates, my coaches and everyone on campus—are something I’ll cherish forever.
I always flash back to when they announced that we won the Heisman. I always say we won the Heisman because I believe it is a team award. Just the feeling of finally being seen by the alumni, by Baylor Nation—the videos they put together after we won the Heisman made me cry because you understand how much it means to so many people for you to be a representation of the university and for the university to finally be seen on a big level.
When I first got to Baylor, the nickname was “BU,” right? Baylor University. But when I would travel to the East Coast as a freshman and people would ask, “Hey, what school do you go to?” I’d say, “I go to BU,” and they’d say, “Boston University?” Man, that would hit you in the heart.
The best way to sum it up is that from the time we started at Baylor to the time we ended, we were able to make a name for the university, not just for ourselves. I think my teammates, our coaches and I all gravitate toward that the most.
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