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When the Spotlight Arrived: How We Helped Indianapolis Basketball Get Bold
- Juwann Nelson
- Jan 14
- 4 min read
Reflecting on the past year, Indianapolis witnessed economic and social growth
powered by remarkable seasons from both the Indiana Pacers and Fever. With high level game play from players like Caitlin Clark and Tyrese Haliburton, a midwest city caught the world's attention.
Indianapolis prior to the 1970s was referred to as “Naptown” or “sleepy” due to the lack of national attractions & fanfare other than the Indianapolis 500 race - the largest one day sports event in the world. However, by 1976 the Indiana Pacers of the ABA officially became an NBA team following the ABA-NBA merger. Also, the Baltimore Colts moved to town in the middle of the night in 1984. Indianapolis was now a city of not just amateur, but professional sports.
In 1983, the Simon family gained ownership of the Indiana Pacers and later acquired the Indiana Fever in 1999 to eventually form Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E). The ownership group has typically followed a more reserved marketing and branding strategy, aligned with the perception of the humble and understated nature of the Midwest.
However, in larger markets such as New York, Los Angeles & Chicago, sports franchises are usually willing to take greater marketing risks and make bolder statements to claim their dominance in the cities they occupy; which ultimately, leads to a more boisterous storytelling approach that activates fan loyalty and interest.
Present day, PS&E has built on the success of past city officials to make Indianapolis an epicenter for sports culture. Prior leaders like Mayor Bill Hudnut (1976-1991) spearheaded the city's efforts to develop the country's first sports commission while using sports as a vehicle for economic growth. Back then, the goal was to make Indy the amateur sports capitol of America. Today, building on the momentum of Mayor Hudnut and many other city stakeholders, PSE&E has adopted a new confidence to promote its hoops teams, stars & rich basketball culture in the Circle City.
As an Indy native & basketball fan, I've observed PS&E's new approach to branding the Indiana Fever. This new energy was sparked by back-to-back #1 WNBA draft picks in Aliyah Boston & Caitlin Clark. This injected the organization with new raw talent to compete with the best teams in the WNBA, a previous struggle since their only championship in 2012 led by Tamika Catchings. At the start of the 2025 WNBA season, PS&E launched their 'Now You Know' campaign -- their most boisterous campaign to date - sending a message that the national spotlight was here to stay. The release of this campaign's film, produced by Story League, netted millions of views and impressions across multiple social platforms including Instagram & X.
PS&E connected with Story League to visually bring this campaign to life. Keeping the story authentic to Indianapolis and its history of trailblazing women, we chose the Madam Walker Legacy Center's historic theater as the backdrop for the campaign launch film. The Madam Walker Theater, built in 1927, represents the hard work and perseverance of America’s first self-made woman millionaire, Madam CJ Walker.
Just like the Indiana Fever, Madam Walker is a trailblazer and inspiration for women to strive for the stars, so it meant a lot to invite the team into the historic space. With the rise of media attention and fandom surrounding the WNBA, the current pro women's players can inspire the next generation of athletes to reimagine the future of the game -- just as Madam Walker did for women entrepreneurs across all generations.
On the other side of PS&E, the Indiana Pacers also captured the attention of the national sports world in 2025. Led by All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers went on a magical playoff run & reached the 2025 NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years. However, a dramatic loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Finals suddenly halted the team's championship aspirations. Heading into the following season, there was a need to send a message to their fans that the team would not be defined by this adversity.
The Pacers called on Story League to build on the recent success of their 'Yes Cers' campaign and tell a story of resilience and belief, even when the road ahead seemed foggy. We produced a commercial spot that incorporated the team's previous playoff loss, creating a sense of accountability and chartering a new path ahead; what some might consider a contrasting approach to what the Pacers marketing efforts might've communicated in the past. This approach resonated with Pacers fans in a major way online. Story League got straight to the point with the help of Kerrington Shorter, an Indianapolis-based actor that performed the monologue for the commercial:
Regardless of a city's reputation or team performance, there will always be a desire for fans to feel a sense of connection to their team of choice through authentic storytelling. PS&E serves as an example of an organization embracing their history and taking ownership of their stories and future. Story League was grateful to be apart of the beginning of the PS&E's efforts to reimagine their storytelling and connection with fans.
Follow Story League:
IG: @storyleague.tv
Reach out to Juwann: jnelson@storyleague.tv
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