PANCAKES
Cincinnati Football's "Pancake With Us" campaign celebrates one of the nation's premier offensive lines. Anchored by preseason All-American guard Evan Tengesdahl and All-Conference standouts Joe Cotton and Taran Tyo, the Bearcats entered the 2026 season with one of the most experienced and accomplished offensive line units in the country.
To build excitement for the season, The Agency developed a fully integrated creative campaign centered around the "Pancake With Us" concept. From custom maple syrup bottles and branded pancake mix to influencer mailers and kitchen-inspired commercials, every element leaned into the theme with personality and purpose.
My role was to concept, produce, and edit the campaign's video content, bringing the idea to life across every visual asset. Below is everything I cooked up... pun absolutely intended.
THE INSPIRATION
Offensive linemen and pancakes. At first glance, they don't seem to belong in the same conversation.
The obvious route would have been to focus on the "pancakes" delivered on the football field. Instead, we took a different approach. Our philosophy was simple: if you know, you know. Rather than explain the joke, we leaned into it, embracing the personalities and quirky charm of our offensive linemen.
The creative inspiration came from classic McDonald's commercials. We wanted the spot to feel warm, nostalgic, and instantly recognizable, while giving it a Cincinnati Football twist. The result was a playful campaign that celebrated one of the nation's best offensive lines in a way that felt fresh, memorable, and unexpectedly fun.
TV COMMERCIAL
To give the campaign launch an authentic throwback feel, we framed the edit in a classic 4:3 aspect ratio, echoing the look and feel of early 2000s television commercials.
Because this campaign was built around a commercial-first approach, the format served a purpose beyond nostalgia. The tighter frame created ample negative space for motion graphics, campaign branding, and a QR code, turning every view into another opportunity to engage fans while reinforcing the campaign's identity.