For the 90th anniversary of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, one of college football’s most iconic traditions stepped into the evolution of the expanded CFP playoffs to a 12 team format that will change the way ball games operate. Ad agency, Medium Giant, was tasked with creating the strategy, implementation and over 500 pieces of content for the event.
The result was The World of the Game, an immersive campaign that honored 90 years of legacy while placing fans directly inside the energy, environment, and emotion of the Cotton Bowl across the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex market, inside the stadium, and in real time throughout Bowl Week and game day.
AdChat DFW sat down with two of the Medium Giant creative team members, Art Director Belle McDaniel and Senior Account Manager Jordan Moize, about how they approached a milestone moment of this scale.
AdChat DFW: What was the original concept about?
Belle: The original concept set out to honor the historic 90th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic while signaling its future within the ever-evolving College Football Playoff, highlighting the game’s elevated status as a Quarterfinal on the sport’s biggest stage. It highlighted not just the game itself, but everything surrounding it: the fans, the community impact of Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex, the crowd, the environment, and the pride that comes with college football. We wanted fans to feel the moment before it even began, and to see the Cotton Bowl as an essential stop in the College Football Playoff season.
This led to our central creative idea: The World of the Game, a concept built to embody the textures, energy, and stakes of the Classic. Instead of simply promoting a sporting event, we created a universe that reflected what it actually feels like to be there, from tunnel to turf to the stands, and invited fans to be immersed in that experience.
AdChat DFW: Tell us about the strategy and execution.
Jordan:
Insights + Strategy
We implemented a multi-channel strategy across social, digital, print, and local activations to increase visibility and encourage engagement at every stage of the fan journey:
Social Media Approach: Our strategy blended real-time, informative content such as ticket availability alerts, weather updates, and seating information, with engaging, interactive formats including reels, player spotlights, and fan reactions.
During Bowl Week and on game day, our team was on the ground capturing content live at events and inside the stadium, quickly turning around reels, recap videos, photography, and social-first moments for real-time posting. This kept fans engaged, energized, and connected to the action as it unfolded.
Print & Environmental Branding: Citywide print placements throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex reinforced visibility and awareness. Consistent branding across transit, pole banners, and on-site signage ensured every touchpoint contributed to a unified visual experience. In-stadium signage extended that experience inside the venue, making fans feel connected to the campaign and fully immersed in The World of the Game once they arrived.
AdChat DFW: What was the creative concept and how did it play into the game?
Belle: This campaign showcased the Classic not just as a game to watch, but a world to be experienced. The campaign was designed to honor 90 years of history while presenting the Cotton Bowl as a living, evolving stage for elite competition.
The execution extended the architectural language of AT&T Stadium directly into the creative system. Structural steel struts became framing devices. Glass treatments were applied to typography, numerals, and icons. Chrome and reflective finishes echoed both the stadium and the Cotton Bowl trophy itself. Incorporating elements from the environment of the game created a visual system that felt precise, elevated, and unmistakably tied to place.
The 90th anniversary mark acted as a commemorative layer rather than a standalone logo. Its design was able to flex across hero imagery, motion, social, and environmental graphics. Its glass-inspired construction reinforced the theme of reflection, legacy, and scale, while remaining adaptable across stacked and horizontal layouts.
Commemorative player cards further reinforced the system, using controlled framing, material-driven textures, and disciplined typography to place hall of fame inductees and modern athletes inside the world of the game rather than isolating them from it. Every execution, from large-scale environmental moments to digital touchpoints, felt cohesive, intentional, and rooted in an ownable classic universe.
By anchoring the design system in the world of the game, the 90th Cotton Bowl campaign was able to commemorate the past while placing the audience inside of the present moment. The result was a system that felt iconic without nostalgia, modern without losing gravity, and worthy of a milestone year.
AdChat DFW: What were the campaign highlights and results?
Jordan: We (and the client) were thrilled with the results!
- Social Results: Across all platforms, we saw a 22% year-over-year increase in total followers, adding 24,658 new fans during the campaign window.
- Viewership Success: 21.6 million viewers, delivering one of the year’s most-watched college football games.
- Attendance Impact: 71,323 fans packed the stands, creating an electric atmosphere that reinforced the game’s prestige and excitement.
AdChat DFW: That’s awesome, congratulations!
Belle & Jordan: Thanks so much!
