Celebrating the two most popular things out there: Football and Free.

So. You received a rather strange message from an ad agency you’ve probably never heard of. And, out of sheer curiosity and/or pity, you decided to come here and indulge the messenger just a little more.

••••••••••  Excellent.  ••••••••••

To repeat the main point here: we (Young & Laramore) are giving away $50,000 of work to one of eight competing brands. If you’re reading this, we want you to be one of them. And to collect this jackpot, all you have to do is play a game.

••••••••••  No joke.  ••••••••••

$50,000 in agency time towards a tasty project.

Take a second to bone up on The Rules; peruse the semi-exhaustive FAQ; lustily admire The Prizes. Then, if you’re ready, click the strategically-placed, oh-so-inviting button below.

And let the games begin.

- The Commissioner

League Rules

There are eight teams in The League, each one representing a client that Young & Laramore has fantasized about doing work for.

Each team will play a ten-game regular season, with head-to-head matchups against their competitors.

After ten weeks, the top four teams will advance to the playoffs— a single-elimination tournament that will crown the champion.

The last team left standing will receive $50,000 of Y&L agency time to make all of its marketing dreams come true. (There are no other prizes up for grabs, unless you count the satisfaction of a game well played, which you shouldn’t.)

Game Rules

The League will use ESPN.com for its fantasy league management. Upon agreeing to participate, each participant brand will receive an official invitation from ESPN.com to join The League. (Participants will need a free ESPN.com account to play.)

The Draft will be a live, online draft (with auto-picking as an option) shortly before the season starts. Look for further details as the season gets closer.

Scoring will use Y&L’s very own in-house rules. Complete scoring will be visible on the ESPN League site, but here are the main things: 0.1 point awarded for every 1 yard rushing and receiving; 6 points for touchdown rushes and receptions; 6 points for every touchdown pass; 1 point per reception. (Yep, this is a PPR league.)

Teams are free to set their lineups each week, as well as add and subtract players through the waiver wire. (No fees are assessed for additions or subtractions.)

Each team’s line-up must be set each week as follows:

If you have any further questions on rules, don’t hesitate to contact The Commissioner.

There Can Be Only One

Did we say “Prizes”? Make that “Prize.” Because, at the end of the season, there’s only one winner in this League.

But oh, will that winner be handsomely rewarded—to the tune of $50,000 of free work from us. That’s $50,000 (based on hourly rates) of thinking, writing, design and strategizing, all by a group of creatives who have been to their fair share of rodeos. (No cheap intern labor here!) The only caveat: production and media costs aren’t included.

Is this a joke?

No, this is not a joke. We are seriously reaching out to potential new clients via an online fantasy football league. Fun? Hopefully. Whimsical? Possibly. Joke? Heck no.

So this is a stunt?

No, it isn’t. True, we wanted to do something different here, but not just for difference’s sake. We figure, if you’re the type of company that’s down to do something like this—well, you’re the type of company we’d get along with famously.

Is this spam?

No, we wouldn’t go to this much trouble for just anyone. We’ve been following your brand for a while, we’ve fallen in love with it, and we’re genuinely excited to do work for it. Don’t believe us? Only eight companies have been invited to The League. (The League is like the Harvard of new business initiatives, only it’s free. Hmm, scratch that. The League is the Deep Springs College of new business initiatives, only without the ranching.)

What’s in it for me (the player)?

At the very least, you’ll enjoy a couple months of spirited competition with some brands you’re probably familiar with. (“IN YOUR FACE, rival beverage brand!”) At most, you’ll get free work from an award-winning, nationally-recognized advertising agency.

What’s in it for you (the agency)?

Simple. It’s a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity to do something cool, work with people and brands we respect, and get some more experience in some very exciting categories. Oh, and let’s not jinx things, but we’d love for this to lead to more projects with the lucky winner.

Is it a lot of work for me?

Not necessarily. Fantasy football tends to require as much (or as little) work as you want it to. At the very minimum, be prepared to spend a few minutes a week managing your lineup.

Do you really expect me to stay involved for the whole season?

Absolutely. We want our competitors to, well, compete. In our experience, things go downhill pretty quickly once a team checks out and starts fielding rosters with inactive players. Don’t be that team.

No, I’m REALLY not interested.

Okay, okay, we get it. Drop us a note and we’ll look elsewhere.

Are you sure this isn’t a joke?

Please. We’d never joke about something as important
as fantasy football.