Modells Hits A Homer With Viral Videos

There is probably no harder working consumer retail brand in sports than Modells. The New York-based chain has taken on thousands of comers, as well as big box and online stores and has survived and thrived nationally by being the sporting goods store, especially for apparel, that the average sports fan has to go to. There are probably few fans in any market the chain is in that doesn’t know “You Gotta Go To Mo's.” The company has also spent large amounts of dollars partnering in advertising with local teams, enhancing charitable campaigns and working with schools to show that they are not just a store, they are a vital piece of the fabric of the community. Their ads are not flowery or overly creative, they deliver the message and hustle to keep and grow market share.

So it came as a very pleasant surprise to see the viral campaign Mo's has launched recently with some solid name but lesser known face athletes going into stores and trying to sell…well, themselves…or at least their jerseys, to an unknowing consumer. The latest one is the Knicks rookie Landry Fields, who hit a New York area store with the hopes of hawking some gear. The video got superb coverage, including this piece in the New York Daily News, and helped pout the chain and Fields in a very different light for fans. Similar videos with Danny Woodhead and others have done very well, and probably have opened the door for Mo's to help gain a little more non-traditional brand buzz with some athletes who are affordable and willing to show they can both take a joke and have some fun in getting themselves exposure.. It is certainly not what Model’'s is known for, but that in itself makes it all the more interesting to see where the brand is going.

Smart, cost effective campaign with lots of legs, and another reason to Go To Mo's.