ESPN is bringing Woody and Buzz along for the ride as it continues building momentum toward Super Bowl LXI.
The network unveiled "Toy Story 5.5," the latest installment in its ongoing "We're Going" campaign.
It's a year-long effort designed to keep audiences engaged as ESPN prepares to host the Super Bowl in Los Angeles in February 2027.
Debuting during Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the animated spot ties ESPN's football ambitions to Disney and Pixar's upcoming "Toy Story 5" release.
It's another example of how The Walt Disney Company is using its entertainment ecosystem to keep the Super Bowl conversation active.
The campaign features animated versions of ESPN's lead NFL broadcast team.
The lineup includes Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters, Pat McAfee, Adam Schefter, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Randy Moss, Jason Kelce, and even mascot "App-E."
The creative continues a campaign platform that began immediately after Super Bowl LX.
The first installment highlighted the company-wide effort behind ESPN's upcoming Super Bowl broadcast.
Meanwhile, April's NFL Draft-themed "On the Clock" spot featured NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announcing ESPN as the chosen one for Super Bowl LXI.
While it's just a one-week event, ESPN is making the Super Bowl a year-round content opportunity.
The latest campaign also demonstrates how the company can use its entertainment portfolio as part of a larger brand marketing strategy.
It also continues the large-scale brand partnership between ESPN, Disney, Pixar, and the NFL, with each property contributing recognizable characters and storytelling assets.
How the Toys Take Over
The spot begins with ESPN host Laura Rutledge and NFL analyst Marcus Spears discussing preparations for the move to Los Angeles.
They talk about why several toy action figures are being left behind to "hold the fort down" while the rest of the team heads west for Super Bowl LXI.
The toys, however, have different plans.
Inspired by the classic "Toy Story" formula, the figures come to life after hours and launch their own journey from Bristol, Connecticut, to Los Angeles.
Along the way, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and other familiar Pixar characters join them.
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The campaign arrives shortly before "Toy Story 5" reaches theaters on June 19, creating a natural promo connection between Disney's film business and ESPN's sports programming.
The initiative itself forms part of ESPN's "Year of the Super Bowl" platform, with earlier efforts including "The Handoff" activation featuring live shows from SoFi Stadium and Disneyland.
Overall, ESPN builds a consistent narrative that keeps the Super Bowl hype alive all year long.
The Waiting Part
Gone are the days when all your marketing efforts are placed into the sports event as it unfolds.
Now, it's crucial to build long-term campaigns that create anticipation months or even years in advance.
ESPN answers this by transforming the journey itself into the story.
The latest campaign offers a few lessons for marketers building long-term audience engagement:
- Create chapters instead of one-off campaigns: Each "We're Going" installment advances the story while giving audiences a reason to return.
- Use existing intellectual property strategically: ESPN combines sports personalities with Pixar characters to expand reach across fan communities.
- Keep major events visible year-round: Podcasts, live activations, short-form content, and broadcast creative work together to sustain attention.
ESPN continues adding new creative installments that reward audiences for following the story over time, with each chapter strengthening anticipation.
This puts the network at the center of the Super Bowl conversation long before kickoff arrives.
Our Take: Can Anticipation Become the Product?
ESPN doesn't need to convince fans to watch the Super Bowl.
It needs to convince them to make ESPN their go-to network for sporting events.
It does that by turning the wait itself into entertainment, staying relevant during the 12 months between one Super Bowl ending and the next one beginning.
If ESPN continues expanding the "We're Going" story through 2027, it may provide a useful blueprint for how broadcasters market tentpole events.
Its latest Stanley Cup campaign shows the same instinct at work. ESPN used 134 years of Finals history to give the broadcast a story bigger than any single game.
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