The National Football League debuted "You Better Believe It," its high-energy 2025 Kickoff campaign that combines artificial intelligence and live action to create a larger-than-life, all-32 team fan celebration.
Set to a remixed version of Quad City DJ's classic "Come On, Ride the Train" performed by recording artist Normani, the 60-second spot plays out like a music video, which captures the shared hope that this could be any team's year. Fans of all 32 teams are depicted on a massive float, as they sing the catchy "Come On, Ride the Float" chorus, along with team-specific verses. Through live-action and AI tools, the NFL featured distinct homages and cultural references for fans of each team, whether it's picturing Washington Commanders' Major Tuddy as a flying pig, showing a ginormous ice sculpture of "Joe Cool" or referencing the "Black Hole" section of Allegiant Stadium.
"Our fans are at the heart of this campaign -- their joy, optimism and belief in what's possible -- and we embraced AI to bring them even closer to the game they love," said Tim Ellis, NFL chief marketing officer. "By combining technological innovation and human creativity, we had the opportunity to pay tribute to each of our 32 fanbases in one unified fantastical celebration and build a world as limitless and imaginative as they are."
To bring the fantastical vision of "You Better Believe It" to life, the NFL partnered with 72andSunny to blend live-action, computer-generated imagery (CGI) and generative AI (GenAI) tools. GenAI and CGI allowed the team to infuse the reality-bending float with callbacks to various team fanbases and to shape visual references to clubs, like the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions. This mix of emerging technology and traditional craft gave the team the freedom to experiment, layer in nods to all 32 fanbases and create a world that feels larger than life, resulting in a craft-driven production enhanced by innovation.
While AI was used to scale the campaign concept, the NFL ensured the cast and crew both in front of and behind the camera were representative of its wide fanbase. "You Better Believe It," directed by Kerry Furrh and Olivia Mitchell of TUSK, features star-studded cameos from Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, recording artist Normani, entertainer Druski, and TikTok star Rizzler, who each bring their own connection to the game.
"I've always been an NFL fan, so getting the chance to be part of this season's Kickoff campaign was a no-brainer," said Druski.
"Being part of the NFL Kickoff commercial is such a monumental and personal moment for me," said Normani. "I cannot remember a time when football was not a huge part of my household growing up, so now that I'm part of an NFL campaign, it means the world to my family."
As the 2025 Kickoff anthem, "You Better Believe It" is a true celebration of the excitement and anticipation of what's to come for fans, but also for players. As the sole player in the campaign, Hurts said, "The start of the season marks a new opportunity and a new journey with a new team. We all have a great desire and hunger to win, and it's something you build one game, one day and one rep at a time."
"You Better Believe It" premiered today across NFL Network, NFL+, and national broadcast partners, with more behind-the-scenes content to follow on NFL channels and club platforms. Additional "You Better Believe It" vignettes will premiere throughout the season.
