For country. For glory. Four nations
NHL, NHLPA and Arts & Letters team up to launch a campaign for the 4 Nations Face-Off.
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After debuting ESPN’s puck-drop anthem, That’s Hockey, to launch the 2024-25 NHL on ESPN season, NHL's longtime partners at ESPN connected the NHL and the NHLPA with Arts & Letters to partner on a campaign for the 4 Nations Face-Off, an international hockey tournament staged by the NHL and the NHLPA featuring four of the worlds’ top hockey nations: Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States.
The teams will face off in a total of seven games played from February 12 to 20, 2025 and will take place in two iconic hockey cities, Montreal (Bell Centre) and Boston (TD Garden).
The 4 Nations Face-Off will feature some of the top players in the NHL, passionately representing their home countries, so we knew we had to create something that made fans feel the magnitude of this unique and elite addition to international hockey.
“This spot helps position the 4 Nations Face-Off as a social and cultural event that unites casual and avid fans through national pride,” said Casey Hall, NHL’s Senior Vice President of Marketing & Innovation. “It reinforces the NHL’s global fanbase, star players and the return of best-on-best international competition that will continue over the next decade with NHL players in the Winter Olympics and World Cup of Hockey.”
Credits
powered by
- Agency Arts & Letters/Richmond
- Production Company The Corner Shop
- Director Malik Vitthal
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Credits
powered by
- Agency Arts & Letters/Richmond
- Production Company The Corner Shop
- Director Malik Vitthal
- Executive Producer Jay Shapiro
- Editing Work Editorial/USA
- Executive Post Producer Erica Thompson
- Post Producer Chris Delarenal
- Editor Niles Howard
- Color/VFX Blacksmith VFX/New York
- Executive VFX Producer Nicole Saccardi
- VFX Producer Hadley Puccio
- Executive Color Producer Adam Vevang
- Sound Designer Elizabeth McClanahan
- Sound Barking Owl
- Executive Sound Producer Ashley Benton
- Founder/Executive Creative Director Charles Hodges
- Executive Creative Director Molly Jamison
- Creative Director Chris Kim
- Creative Director Mike Behrends
- Creative Sam Christian
- Creative Brendan Howard
- HP Lisa Gatto Setten
- Executive Producer Calleen Colburn
- Producer Danny Ryan
- Music Supervisor Casey Wheeler
- Colorist Terry Simpson
Credits
powered by
- Agency Arts & Letters/Richmond
- Production Company The Corner Shop
- Director Malik Vitthal
- Executive Producer Jay Shapiro
- Editing Work Editorial/USA
- Executive Post Producer Erica Thompson
- Post Producer Chris Delarenal
- Editor Niles Howard
- Color/VFX Blacksmith VFX/New York
- Executive VFX Producer Nicole Saccardi
- VFX Producer Hadley Puccio
- Executive Color Producer Adam Vevang
- Sound Designer Elizabeth McClanahan
- Sound Barking Owl
- Executive Sound Producer Ashley Benton
- Founder/Executive Creative Director Charles Hodges
- Executive Creative Director Molly Jamison
- Creative Director Chris Kim
- Creative Director Mike Behrends
- Creative Sam Christian
- Creative Brendan Howard
- HP Lisa Gatto Setten
- Executive Producer Calleen Colburn
- Producer Danny Ryan
- Music Supervisor Casey Wheeler
- Colorist Terry Simpson
The campaign leans into the theme of national pride, while also leaning into unique storylines, such as NHL teammates, Mikko Rantanen (FIN), Nathan MacKinnon (CAN) and Cale Makar (CAN) of the Colorado Avalanche becoming rivals. The multi-layered stakes of the 4 Nations Face-Off are conveyed to the audience through the campaigns spot, delivered by both players and fans of the four countries.
“Culture has conditioned sports fans to expect All-Star matches to be fun spectacles, but often with low stakes and low urgency,” said Chris Kim, Creative Director at Arts & Letters. “We saw an opportunity to create something that made fans buy-in to the competition and feel a sense of anticipation for it. For Country. For Glory. Four Nations. heightens the stakes and gets you excited for the return of the best-on-best International hockey competition.”
For Country. For Glory. Four Nations. was shot by the avid and passionate hockey player and fan, Malik Vitthal of Cornershop. The spot also features the song, Boys in the Better Land by Fontaines D.C.
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Additionally, the NHL players you’ll see throughout the spot are: Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins (representing Canada) Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs (representing USA) Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers (representing USA) William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs (representing Sweden) Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers (representing Finland) Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche (representing Canada) Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche (representing Canada) Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche (representing Finland)
“The opportunity to represent their home countries on the international stage is something that all players cherish. The pride of pulling on those sweaters is an absolute honour and this is the mindset that the Players brought to the making of For Country. For Glory. Four Nations.” said Rob Zepp, NHLPA Senior Director, International Strategy & Growth. “Skating alongside their compatriots, competing against their international rivals, and feeling the passion and support of fans from their nations, was not only influential in the creative process, but will without a doubt play a role in what we hope is an incredibly exciting and successful event. One that paves the way for consistent international best-on-best competition moving forward.”
Check out the 4 Nations Face-Off spot here that debuted during the Discover NHL Winter Classic on New Year’s Eve and will air on ESPN, TNT and Sportsnet through February 20, 2025.
