It’s only two days until the 2011 NFL regular season kicks off, with the opener pitting the 2009 Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints (Who Dat?) against the 2010 Super Bowl champs, the Green Bay Packers (TITLE BELT). Odds are, many of you took advantage of the long holiday weekend to join the estimated 19 million people who take part every year in Fantasy Football, where obsessive nerdiness and professional sports combine to anger neglected spouses across the country.
Also celebrating another year of tossing around the ol’ digital pigskin is a self-defined “ad agency you’ve never heard of,” Indianapolis-based shop Young & Laramore (you know, the folks behind recent Stanley Steemer work). In an attempt to lure top-tier clients to its agency, Y&L is launching the “Fantasy Client Fantasy Football League,” a league comprised of eight large “fantasy” brands who will be competing for a grand prize of $50,000 in free work from the agency. Of course, there’s a significant drop-off between prizes for first place and second place, but we guess it will add to the spirit of competition, right?
So far, Young & Laramore has brands Skullcandy and Late July signed up according to Ad Age, and the publication points out that although this is the “Second Annual” Fantasy Client Fantasy Football League, there actually wasn’t a first competition last year. Will the contest actually land Y&L paid business from the grand prize winner or other participants down the road? I guess we’ll find out at the end of the season. Until then, get excited for Thursday night (when I have Greg Jennings, A.J. Hawk and Marques Colston all playing).
Update: We’ve received word from Young & Laramore that Jeni’s ice cream, ArborWear and Evol have joined the league. Game on.