In 2023, the Seahawks had the opportunity to introduce their fans to their highly anticipated Throwback Uniforms. With the uniform design mirroring the team’s 90s-era look, the Seahawks designed a launch campaign to pay homage to the 90s, complete with graphics, social posts, a microsite, "90s house" video and more. The campaign goals were to drive fan sentiment and buzz, grow brand affinity nationally and inspire retail sales.
The strategy involved creating a campaign that connected with fans where they regularly consumed content. This included reaching not only the team’s “Loud & Loyal” fans who remembered the players from the 90s, but also to reach a younger, more diverse audience through creative content that capitalized on fan-favorite players paired with a love for all things retro.
A key element of the launch was a "90s" microsite, throwback.seahawks.com. Sponsored by Microsoft, the website was designed to lean into the 90s era and even required users to click a "start" button to enter, which launched into the classic dial-up tone internet users from the 90s would remember. The site also featured designs as seen on an early version of Seahawks.com in the 90s, as well as historical photos, images, and stories from the team’s history. The retro content was featured alongside exclusive images of current players wearing the new Throwback uniforms. The site also offered fans an interactive opportunity to submit their own retro photos wearing Seahawks gear from the past, to be featured on a memory page.
Another key element to the launch was a film, “90s House,” which launched the campaign on social media and brought fans right back to the decade. Featuring a set designed to look like a sitcom house from the 90s, the film included Seahawks players waking up in the house wearing the Throwback uniforms. The house was filled with 90s relics like Trolls, a Lava Lamp, and a Walkman, bringing the decade to life on screen.
The launch was a great success. Despite numerous other NFL teams launching Throwback uniforms during the same month, and two in the same week, the Seahawks ranked #1 of any NFL team in public engagements online the week of its launch, with 20M impressions, 1.2M engagements and 4.3M video begins. ESPN reported the team's Throwbacks were the most searched NFL Throwback on Google Search that July. On the retail side, the team recorded the most successful alternate uniform retail launch in Fanatics history.
