…and combine forces.
Darren Feeney is a diehard Yankees fan and Will Burns is a diehard Red Sox fan, yet they somehow have been friends and, at times, colleagues for many years. One evening they walked into a bar (no joke) to catch up. Will shared his recent branding experience with NHL goalie, Robin Lehner. Darren shared some of his latest projects as VP of Advertising at Titleist, where the players on the PGA Tour are a major proof point for the brand’s famous claim, “#1 Ball In Golf.”
At some point in the evening it occurred to them that their experience and expertise complimented each other. Darren was a well-oiled sports marketer with a deep understanding of the business of sponsorships in the sports world. Will had a talent and passion for developing brand ideas for people like Lehner and Paul McCartney and for several companies (read any of his Forbes column to witness some of that passion).
What if the Yankee fan and Sox fan came together? What if we were to help athletes the world over improve their image and bottom lines by helping them articulate their own brand ideas? What if we could then help these athletes find other brand “allies” who shared audiences, belief systems and ideals?
And, boom, The Branded Athlete was born.
A mix of sports and branding expertise.
Principals
the sports marketing guy
Darren Feeney
Darren has over 20 years of golf industry and advertising agency experience. With this sports marketing background and big idea sense he cofounded The Branded Athlete. Prior to his sports marketing and brand advertising career he was the captain of the UNC Charlotte soccer team. During his time at school when asked who he was, Darren’s response was, “I’m a soccer player.” That was what Darren was, not who he was. When this enlightenment happened years later it came as a lightning rod of significance for Darren, personally. And it was then he decided to build upon his experience and accelerate this epiphany for professional athletes. There is so much more that can be achieved by identifying the true beliefs of the individual athlete, the athlete that lives off the field, but maintains the values learned on the field. This vision is Darren’s calling today, as he is driven to identify the athlete’s core values and sense of purpose in order to create the truest sense of the individual, The BrandedAthlete.
Professional golfers Darren has worked with over his career: Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Cristie Kerr, Justin Thomas, Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson, Webb Simpson, Rickie Fowler, Zach Johnson, Bubba Watson, Brittany Lincicome, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Ernie Els, Steve Stricker, Jason Dufner, Tommy Fleetwood, Paul Casey, and others.
Darren and Jordan Spieth
Work Experience
Arccos Golf - VP Marketing
Titleist - VP Advertising & Communications
Arnold Worldwide - Account Supervisor
Toth & Co. - Account Manager
the brand guy
Will Burns
In 2010 Will founded the virtual idea-generating company, Ideasicle X, and serves as Creative Director and CEO. At about the same time, he became a Forbes Contributor writing about the importance of creativity in modern branding. But for over 20 formative years before that he criss-crossed the country experiencing the best agencies in the world. He learned as a pup from the creative greats, David Lubars and David Baldwin, at Leonard/Monahan in Providence. He witnessed the magic of Jeff Goodby at Goodby Silverstein in San Francisco and was immersed in the culture of unabashed creativity and attitude of Nike’s Wieden & Kennedy in Portland, OR. He’s seen ghosts in the old "mansion" of Mullen in Wenham, MA. And won over $1 billion in new business billings as head of business development at Arnold in Boston.
The result of all that is a fundamental belief—one he bestows upon his Forbes readership constantly—that there is power in a brand idea. For a large corporation and, especially, for an individual like a professional athlete like Robin Lehner (or in the case of a rock star, Paul McCartney).
Print campaign and TV came out of the brand work. [click to expand]
Paul was gracious enough to sign the key slide from our pitch to Fidelity. [click to expand]
Work Experience
Ideasicle Inc. - Founder & CEO (present)
Forbes Contributor (present)
Independent Brand Consultant (present)
20 Years in Advertising - Arnold, Mullen, Wieden & Kennedy, Goodby Silverstein, Leonard/Monahan, HBM
Personal branding experience: Paul McCartney/Fidelity (leading to “This is Paul” campaign); Robin Lehner, NHL goalie