About the NIL Store
Year: 2021 - 2024
Team: Steven Farag, Adam Cook, Sean Ellenby,Molly Pfeiffer Broc Anthony, Michael O'Neil, Carter Crayne, Grace Risinger, Nolan Ray
Articles:
- Indiana Launches NIL Partnership with Campus Ink
- Athletics Launch Merchandise Store and Marketplace
- Campus Ink Announces Penn State as Official NIL Licensee
- Gameday Spirit Announce Partnership Benefitting Illinois
- NIL Store Enters NCAA Tournament with 19 Teams Across 13 Stores
- Illinois NIL Store Expands Footprint with Illini Athletes
Year: 2021 - 2024
Team: Steven Farag, Adam Cook, Sean Ellenby,Molly Pfeiffer Broc Anthony, Michael O'Neil, Carter Crayne, Grace Risinger, Nolan Ray
Articles:
- Indiana Launches NIL Partnership with Campus Ink
- Athletics Launch Merchandise Store and Marketplace
- Campus Ink Announces Penn State as Official NIL Licensee
- Gameday Spirit Announce Partnership Benefitting Illinois
- NIL Store Enters NCAA Tournament with 19 Teams Across 13 Stores
- Illinois NIL Store Expands Footprint with Illini Athletes
The NIL Store powered by Campus Ink is the leading NIL merchandiser for schools and student-athletes in the nation. We provide holistic solutions for hundreds of athletes and universities to provide custom and co-licensed NIL merchandise opportunities for every athlete in every sport. Backed by Mark Cuban, Campus Ink expanded into the Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) space in 2021 and launched the NIL Store, which serves as a merchandising solution for student-athletes and schools. The NIL Store creates an opportunity for every student-athlete to sell their NIL merchandise, develop custom products, and have a say in how much they earn. Not this was for the
Problem
The NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) landscape presented a fragmented market where fans struggled to directly support their favorite college athletes through merchandise purchases. There was a significant gap in offering personalized, athlete-centric apparel that resonated with fans while adhering to licensing requirements and school standards.
The NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) landscape presented a fragmented market where fans struggled to directly support their favorite college athletes through merchandise purchases. There was a significant gap in offering personalized, athlete-centric apparel that resonated with fans while adhering to licensing requirements and school standards.
Solution
To bridge this gap, we introduced the NIL Store, a revolutionary platform designed to facilitate the direct purchase of athlete-branded merchandise. This solution not only streamlined fan purchases but also empowered athletes by allowing them to tell their personal stories through uniquely designed apparel.
To bridge this gap, we introduced the NIL Store, a revolutionary platform designed to facilitate the direct purchase of athlete-branded merchandise. This solution not only streamlined fan purchases but also empowered athletes by allowing them to tell their personal stories through uniquely designed apparel.
My Role as Creative Director:
Design Leadership:
Guiding the creative vision for the NIL Store, ensuring that each piece of merchandise authentically represented the athletes’ stories and maintained the aesthetic values of their respective schools. I was also responsible for creating logos and launch graphics for each university store, tailoring each design to reflect the unique identity of the university.
Guiding the creative vision for the NIL Store, ensuring that each piece of merchandise authentically represented the athletes’ stories and maintained the aesthetic values of their respective schools. I was also responsible for creating logos and launch graphics for each university store, tailoring each design to reflect the unique identity of the university.
Collaboration and Coordination:
Working closely with athletes in 1:1 meetings to capture their personal narratives and translate these into compelling apparel designs. I coordinated with university officials and licensing departments to ensure all designs met regulatory and brand standards. Additionally, I worked alongside account managers to plan and execute individual athlete product launches, strategizing the timing and method of each launch to maximize impact.
Working closely with athletes in 1:1 meetings to capture their personal narratives and translate these into compelling apparel designs. I coordinated with university officials and licensing departments to ensure all designs met regulatory and brand standards. Additionally, I worked alongside account managers to plan and execute individual athlete product launches, strategizing the timing and method of each launch to maximize impact.
Product Launch and Marketing Strategy:
Partnering with marketing teams and account managers to develop and execute launch strategies for each collection and store. This involved planning the timing of releases to maximize exposure and engagement, as well as overseeing the creation of marketing materials that accurately conveyed the unique attributes of each athlete’s collection.
Partnering with marketing teams and account managers to develop and execute launch strategies for each collection and store. This involved planning the timing of releases to maximize exposure and engagement, as well as overseeing the creation of marketing materials that accurately conveyed the unique attributes of each athlete’s collection.
Ongoing Management and Innovation:
Monitoring the performance of the core products and limited releases within the NIL Store, and iterating on the product offerings based on fan feedback and sales data. This ensured that our offerings remained relevant and desirable, driving continuous engagement and support for the athletes.
Monitoring the performance of the core products and limited releases within the NIL Store, and iterating on the product offerings based on fan feedback and sales data. This ensured that our offerings remained relevant and desirable, driving continuous engagement and support for the athletes.
Expansion Team
Team: Steven Farag, Adam Cook, Sean Ellenby,Molly Pfeiffer Broc Anthony, Michael O'Neill
Team: Steven Farag, Adam Cook, Sean Ellenby,Molly Pfeiffer Broc Anthony, Michael O'Neill
Early Stages:
- Initiation: Campus Ink’s NIL Store began with around 15 athletes, mainly from Illinois men's basketball team.
- Initiation: Campus Ink’s NIL Store began with around 15 athletes, mainly from Illinois men's basketball team.
- First NIL Pop-Up Store: Launched in downtown Chicago, pioneering NIL pop-up concept.
Growth and Expansion:
- Mark Cuban's Investment: A significant boost came from Mark Cuban, who invested on the condition to provide NIL opportunities for all athletes, not just top-tier ones.
- Mark Cuban's Investment: A significant boost came from Mark Cuban, who invested on the condition to provide NIL opportunities for all athletes, not just top-tier ones.
- Hiring and Team Building: Brought on former athletes, coaches, and higher education staff who were passionate about athlete welfare and opportunities.
Nationwide Reach:
- Expansion: Expanded to 15 institutions with over 1,000 athletes signed to the platform.
- Expansion: Expanded to 15 institutions with over 1,000 athletes signed to the platform.
- Innovative Merchandise: Created unique merchandise, including Indiana’s legendary posters, Zach Edey’s hockey jersey, and in-game wearables by coaches.
Achievements:
- Revenue Generation: Athletes collectively earned significant income, with Indiana athletes making $15,000 from posters.
- Continued Investment: Secured a $2 million investment round, including a re-investment from Mark Cuban.
- Revenue Generation: Athletes collectively earned significant income, with Indiana athletes making $15,000 from posters.
- Continued Investment: Secured a $2 million investment round, including a re-investment from Mark Cuban.
TIMELINE
The journey to $1 million in payouts began humbly in 2021 with a pop-up store concept, designed to test how student-athletes could monetize their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). The idea sparked overwhelming interest, proving the potential of NIL merchandise. Inspired by this success, we reimagined the concept into a scalable, digital-first platform. The relaunch caught national attention, solidifying The NIL Store as a game-changer in the NIL space. This momentum led to a pivotal investment from Mark Cuban, enabling us to grow exponentially and support athletes nationwide. Today, our commitment to empowering student-athletes has resulted in over $1 million in payouts—and we’re just getting started.
Marketing Graphics
- Creative Development and Design Execution
- Specialized Content Creation
- Strategic Visual Communication
- Collaborative Teamwork and Project Management
- Creative Development and Design Execution
- Specialized Content Creation
- Strategic Visual Communication
- Collaborative Teamwork and Project Management
In the Marketing Graphics section of our NIL Store portfolio, I partnered with graphic designer Amy Monks to produce a series of cohesive and engaging visual materials. Our primary objective was to develop a consistent visual language that effectively communicated our unique athlete partnerships and enhanced our overall brand presence online. We created dynamic graphics for our social media to announce new athlete collaborations, crafted specialized headers for each individual store page, and designed distinctive graphics for the athlete locker rooms, categorized by sports such as basketball and water polo. My role involved leading the creative direction, ensuring each graphic not only resonated with the target audience but also maintained brand consistency. Through strategic design and collaborative efforts, we successfully enhanced user engagement and streamlined the visual experience across the NIL Store's digital platforms.
Individual Store Logo / Favicon
Working closely with designer Amy Monks, we created unique logos for each NIL Store, ensuring they maintained the same aesthetic as the original NIL logo. These logos served as the primary visual identity for each store, were integral to our launch graphics, and reinforced a cohesive brand image across all platforms. This consistent branding approach contributed significantly to the NIL Store's success, enhancing recognition and engagement across all affiliated athletes and institutions.
Working closely with designer Amy Monks, we created unique logos for each NIL Store, ensuring they maintained the same aesthetic as the original NIL logo. These logos served as the primary visual identity for each store, were integral to our launch graphics, and reinforced a cohesive brand image across all platforms. This consistent branding approach contributed significantly to the NIL Store's success, enhancing recognition and engagement across all affiliated athletes and institutions.
Inked Graphics
As part of our partnership announcements with individual athletes, I spearheaded the creation of Inked Graphics. These custom graphics were shared on each athlete’s social media, building excitement and anticipation for their NIL merchandise. Every time an account manager signed a new athlete, I ensured their Inked Graphic was ready to announce the partnership, effectively generating hype and engaging their followers. This strategic use of social media visuals played a key role in driving interest and sales for NIL merchandise.
As part of our partnership announcements with individual athletes, I spearheaded the creation of Inked Graphics. These custom graphics were shared on each athlete’s social media, building excitement and anticipation for their NIL merchandise. Every time an account manager signed a new athlete, I ensured their Inked Graphic was ready to announce the partnership, effectively generating hype and engaging their followers. This strategic use of social media visuals played a key role in driving interest and sales for NIL merchandise.
Partnership Graphics
Urban Champs is the nation’s sole dedicated NIL Jersey brand, crafting fashion-forward and replica-style jerseys for a variety of sports, from football to hockey to softball. I led the design and production process, creating tech packs and ensuring that every jersey received licensing approval, upholding each university’s standards. My role involved extensive collaboration with university officials to ensure the authenticity and quality of our jerseys, as well as coordinating with marketing and account management teams to effectively launch each product. This initiative not only expanded our distribution to local and on-campus retailers but also solidified our reputation as a leader in athletic apparel.
Technical Drawings
- Design Adaptation and Technical Drawings
- Licensing Compliance
- Color Matching
- Collaboration with Universities and Manufacturers
- Design Adaptation and Technical Drawings
- Licensing Compliance
- Color Matching
- Collaboration with Universities and Manufacturers
I led the design and production of NIL jerseys, creating replicas of existing university jerseys with subtle modifications for co-licensing purposes. In this capacity, I oversaw the efforts of two junior designers, guiding their technical drawings and ensuring rigorous compliance with university licensing departments. My role extended to managing precise color matching, particularly the challenges of achieving Pantone accuracy in sublimation printing. Collaborating closely with university officials and manufacturers, I ensured each jersey met the strict standards required, overcoming challenges to maintain fidelity to university colors and branding. This process not only highlighted our commitment to quality but also showcased our capability to manage complex production and licensing processes effectively while mentoring the next generation of designers.
Limited Release
NIL Athlete Merchandise Collection full here
- Strategic Creative Leadership:
- Effective Collaboration and Coordination
- Client and Stakeholder Management:
- Tailored Marketing and Branding:
NIL Athlete Merchandise Collection full here
- Strategic Creative Leadership:
- Effective Collaboration and Coordination
- Client and Stakeholder Management:
- Tailored Marketing and Branding:
I personally conducted 1:1 meetings with athletes to develop a collection that authentically represented their personal narratives. Following these creative collaborations, I coordinated with marketing teams and account managers from the respective schools to ensure each product was impeccably prepared for launch. These bespoke collections were prominently featured in the athletes' individual locker rooms within their schools' NIL Stores, offering fans a direct and personalized connection to their favorite athletes through thoughtfully designed apparel.
University of Illinois - Chase Brown
University of Illinois - Dain Dainja
UNC - Leaky Black
University of Illinois - TJ Shannon Jr
Duke University - Jake Grandison
Purdue - Caleb Furst
Indiana University - Brendan Burns
LSU - Flau'Jae Johnson
Co Licensed Core Products
- Design and Creative Direction:
- Project Management and Production Oversight
- Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration
- Marketing and Consumer Engagement
- Design and Creative Direction:
- Project Management and Production Oversight
- Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration
- Marketing and Consumer Engagement
I focused on developing unique licensed apparel for individual schools, serving as the foundational offering for each school's dedicated store. As Senior Art Director, I spearheaded the design and production of these core collections, which are permanently displayed in each athlete's locker room within the school's NIL Store. This setup allows fans to easily navigate the store and select merchandise that directly supports their favorite athletes. By maintaining a constant availability of these items, we enhance fan engagement and ensure ongoing support for the athletes, fostering a stronger connection between fans and their sports heroes.
