Derek Jeter Fronts Arena Club’s Debut TV Spot from Orchard

Arena Club, the online marketplace and grading platform co-founded by Derek Jeter and Brian Lee, has launched its first-ever television campaign, created in partnership with Orchard.

The spot marks a milestone moment for the brand as it looks to bring the energy of card collecting to US screens. Designed to capture the emotion and anticipation of ‘Opening Day’, the campaign positions Arena Club as a modern hub for collectors, powered by innovation, transparency and a growing community.

“The theme of ‘Opening Day’ and that sense of excitement really resonated as we thought about parallels between breaking a Slab Pack™ and the sports world," said Derek Jeter, co-founder of Arena Club, World Series champion and Baseball Hall of Famer. "We’ve worked hard at Arena Club to build a great community of collectors, and we’ve listened to that community. We’re excited about what’s ahead.”

Arena Club’s ‘Slab Pack’ a digital pack backed by physical cards with transparent odds and instant trading - is at the heart of the new commercial. The film features a montage of cinematic ‘openings,’ culminating in Jeter himself opening a Slab Pack, embodying the rush of discovery that defines collecting.

“The idea came out of a conversation a few of us were having about how opening a pack of cards was always such an exciting experience,” says Conor Dooley, creative director at Orchard, speaking with LBB. “No matter how unlikely, or how many times you've been disappointed, you always feel like there's a chance you might find that golden ticket - that grail. And that sort of clean-slate optimism is true of all openings. It's about not knowing, but believing in a good outcome. True of birthday presents, true of relationships, true of a sports season. And it felt like there was something real, and deeper to mine, in that thought and that correlation.”

Conor says that the script evolved with the piece as it came together. “The message always remained the same, but the style and the specific language changed completely,” he says. The director, Taylor Twist, approached the project as an “exercise in rhythm, full of staccato passages and deliberate rests”.

“It was one of those rare and lovely moments when we knew exactly who would be the right fit for this,” adds Perry Morton, senior art director. “Not only because of his experience and acclaim as a director and former agency creative in the sports space, but because he is also an avid card collector himself. Partnering with someone who lives and breathes the category - the passion, knowledge and attention to detail - made a big impact on the work.”

As Taylor and the Orchard team worked with the editor and composer to bring all these elements together in a cohesive way, it became apparent that the VO had to adjust and “sort of riff its way” into the jam session, says Conor. “In the end,” he adds, “it became about the economy of carefully chosen language delivered in a way that applied to both collecting and fandom, and with a tone that felt both realistic and hopeful.”

The team identified that much sports marketing content is full of visual clichés that they knew they wanted to steer clear of. “We decided a more insightful, behind-the-scenes look at the little details of the opening day of a season, with a balance of these sort of micro and macro opening moments, produced something that felt new and fresh, especially for this category,” says Perry. “And the marriage of the original music with our visuals was an integral part of that tension and allowed one to complement the other.”

“Collecting has always been about ‘the chase,’ that heart-pounding moment of discovery. This ad brings it to life,” added Brian Lee, CEO and co-founder of Arena Club. “Our mission at Arena Club remains constant: to deliver trust, excitement, and accessibility to every collector.”

​Barney Robinson, founder and CEO of Orchard, praised the team behind Arena Club. “The track record of the management team at Arena Club speaks for itself. They have a deep bench of phenomenal talent. It was a privilege for Orchard to be given the opportunity to help show the world why they are rapidly becoming the premier brand in card collecting.”

The campaign will run across TV and digital channels, including ESPN later this month, in a variety of lengths. It builds on Arena Club’s wider brand storytelling efforts, including content with Annie Agar, Geoff Wilson, Jim Rome, Matt Strahm and others.