The annual NFL schedule release day is like the Super Bowl for the 32 club’s social media teams. This year did not disappoint either.
Whether it was the Denver Broncos enlisting the help of Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, the Los Angeles Chargers having Joey Bosa do a powerpoint presentation via Zoom, or the Carolina Panthers broadcasting a 9-minute brainstorming session, the entertainment value of the release videos knew no bounds.
The New England Patriots’ social team led by Lauren Spencer followed suit: they released a Home Shopping Network style clip in order to present the team’s 2021 opponents.
The video was months in the making and saw the team’s 2020 captains — Matthew Slater, Devin McCourty, James White, David Andrews, Cam Newton, Lawrence Guy, Ja’Whaun Bentley — as well as veteran Dont’a Hightower, who opted out of last season, transformed into action figurines. China-based artist Jay Huang hand-crafted the eight sculptures out of clay and shipped them to Gillette Stadium.
Even though they are presented as collectibles, the figures are in fact individual items. For the video, they were packed up in replica toy boxes with each representing the Patriots’ matchup for that week: the home games have background shots of Gillette Stadium, with the road games showing pictures of the respective stadiums New England will visit.
The Patriots’ 2021 schedule will be the first featuring 17 games, with the team set to open against the Miami Dolphins on September 12th.