TL;DR

Aspercreme wanted to champion people who defy the stereotypes of aging. So when I found a 58-year-old college freshman pursuing his dream of playing football on Instagram, we turned him into the oldest NIL athlete in history.

The result: $12M+ in earned media, 1.13B impressions, an 11.5% sales lift & a Cannes Lion.

THE PROBLEM

Aspercreme was the #7 topical pain relief brand, losing sales & distribution in an increasingly commoditized category. Consumers saw little difference between topical pain brands, while competitors competed almost exclusively on functional benefits. Aspercreme needed to become more than another pain relief product on the shelf. It needed a reason to matter in culture & create a stronger connection with its 55+ audience.

THE STRATEGY

“ACT YOUR AGE”

We flipped one of aging's most familiar phrases on its head. Instead of using “Act Your Age” to tell people what they shouldn't do, we turned it into a rallying cry for people 55+ to defy expectations, stay active & do whatever the hell they want. The platform gave Aspercreme permission to celebrate the unexpected & challenge the stereotypes that make aging feel limiting.

THE CONNECTION

Then we found the perfect personification of the platform: Tom Cillo. At 58, Tom went back to college with one goal: play college football. Rather than wait for a traditional campaign timeline, we moved at the speed of culture. Within a week, Aspercreme signed Tom to the oldest NIL deal in history. What started as a partnership quickly became a cultural story. The Athletic broke the news, social conversation exploded, & local & national news outlets followed. We then turned Tom into the face of Aspercreme's football-season campaign, extending the partnership across social, PR, OOH & content. We didn't just tell people to Act Your Age. We found someone doing it.

THE IMPACT

• $12M+ earned media

• 1.13B earned impressions

• +11.5% sales lift

• +297% social conversation

The partnership became the most talked-about endorsement deal of the college football season, outperforming major sports brands including Nike, Adidas, Gatorade & Bose.

THE RECOGNITION

Bronze Cannes Lion Winner · 5× Cannes Lion Shortlisted · Gold Clio · 2× Silver Clio · Bronze Pencil · 3× Shorty Awards · Big Agency of the Year · Merit