American Century Investments Launches Integrated Marketing Campaign Tied To American Century Championship

KANSAS CITY, Mo., July 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In conjunction with the American Century Championship, the global asset manager's annual celebrity golf tournament, American Century Investments launched "The Future. How Will You Play It?," a new, integrated marketing campaign. Key components of the campaign include a television commercial, a social media contest and a landing page. The campaign also has employee and client engagement elements.

The newly created 30-second commercial will air July 10 through 12 during televised coverage of the American Century Championship on NBC, NBC Sports Network and Golf Channel. The spot features a video montage of people in their homes making trick golf shots to evoke how the ups and downs of everyday life can impact a person's approach to investing.

"Bumps in the road. Left turns. And a crazy thing called 2020," intones the voiceover. "We can't always know what comes our way, but we can decide how to play it. At American Century Investments, we anticipate the unexpected and sense when to pivot. Reaching for a more prosperous life."

According to Erik Schneberger, American Century's chief marketing officer, the advertisement is very relatable for those who have been trying to navigate life against the backdrop of the pandemic and other unplanned events.

"Life is unpredictable and full of unexpected turns, but 'how we play it' can mean the difference between thriving and just getting by," said Schneberger. "American Century looks for opportunities even in the most unpredictable times, always optimistic about what the future holds. Our goal is to partner with clients to develop a plan that is built for the long-term and empowers them to move forward with confidence and conviction."

The new commercial dovetails with a social media contest developed in partnership with the Golf Channel. Participants in the "Play It ACC Trick Shot Challenge" must upload to Twitter or Instagram an original video of a trick golf shot and include the hashtags #PlayItACC and #contest. For the trick shot video, any kind of ball can be used as long as it's hit with a golf club. Those submitting the winning video will receive two general admission tickets to the three-day 2021 American Century Championship plus airfare and hotel accommodations. Submissions must be made prior to July 14. Three trips will be awarded.

The PlayItACC.com campaign landing page features the new television commercial, social media contest information and Twitter and Instagram feeds showcasing posts with the hashags #PlayItACC and #contest. There are also links to information about the official tournament charities including the Equal Justice Initiative and various COVID-19 relief organizations. The page also provides information about American Century's unique ownership model, which results in more than 40 percent of the firm's annual dividends being directed to medical research.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 31^st edition of the American Century Championship will be a TV-only event. To maintain a safe environment for the celebrity participants, no spectators will be allowed on the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. Only the players, caddies and essential tournament staff will be on site. All will be required to practice social distancing. "Since this year's tournament is a broadcast-only event, we wanted to find a way to engage our fans in a different way."  Schneberger said "The American Century Championship is steeped in fun, and unconventional golf shots and this contest embody the spirit of the event while looking to the future by giving the winners access to the 2021 event."

The 2020 tournament will feature a powerhouse lineup of approximately 80 sports legends and celebrities. Returning participants include two-time defending champion Tony Romo, Steph Curry,  Charles Barkley and Aaron Rodgers. Here's the television schedule for the tournament:

• Friday, July 10 – NBC Sports Network (Cable): 5 p.m. ET.; Golf Channel: 10 p.m. ET.
• Saturday, July 11 – NBC (Broadcast Network): 3 p.m. ET.; Golf Channel: 10 p.m. ET.
• Sunday, July 12 – NBC (Broadcast Network): 3 p.m. ET.; 10 p.m. ET.

Also, all prize money for the American Century Championship golf tournament will be donated to the Equal Justice Initiative, regional Lake Tahoe non-profits and the COVID-19 relief charities: the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation COVID-19 Response Fund and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy COVID-19 Response Fund.

American Century Investments is a leading global asset manager focused on delivering investment results and building long-term client relationships while supporting research that can improve human health and save lives.  Founded in 1958, American Century Investments' 1,400 employees serve investment professionals, institutions, corporations and individual investors from offices in New York; London; Hong Kong; Frankfurt, Germany; Sydney; Mountain View, Calif.; and Kansas City, Mo. Jonathan S. Thomas is president and chief executive officer, and Victor Zhang serves as chief investment officer. Delivering investment results to clients enables American Century Investments to distribute over 40 percent of its dividends to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, a 500-person, non-profit basic biomedical research organization. The Institute owns more than 40 percent of American Century Investments and has received dividend payments of $1.6 billion since 2000. For more information about American Century Investments, visit www.americancentury.com.

No purchase necessary, void where prohibited. Contest rules: 
©2020 American Century Proprietary Holdings, Inc.

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SOURCE American Century Services Corporation