During the 2024 Super Bowl, Dove and Nike took on a massive challenge: Break through sports' biggest night of the year to address the body confidence crisis that causes 45% of girls to drop out of sports by age 14.
Their campaign, Hard Knocks, landed critical and social support by focusing on girls' real challenges in sports, but with a twist. Set to the iconic anthem "Hard Knock Life" from Annie; the ad showed that girls had no issues with the physical knocks of the game; it's the emotional blows -- low self-esteem -- that too often push them to quit.
The stakes were high. Ogilvy UK, the creative agency, knew this had to be more than a glossy Super Bowl ad. It was a crucial message at a critical moment, but it needed to feel raw, unfiltered, and, above all, honest. But how could they tell a story about girls, sports, and self-esteem to a global Super Bowl audience without it feeling scripted?
They initially tried the polished approach, shooting a beautifully produced anthem spot. But it fell flat. The emotion wasn't there. Next, they pivoted to finding user-generated content (UGC), which didn't work.
Enter Catch+Release. This innovative content licensing platform uses their proprietary AI-powered marketplace to help brands like Ford, P&G, Nike, Disney, and Uber identify, license, and manage legal compliance for user-generated content discovered on the Internet.
For the Hard Knocks campaign, the team quickly tapped their AI-powered search and a team of expert curators to identify and licensed a treasure trove of raw clips - finding relatable scenes of girls falling, failing, and battling for a win.
The Catch + Release licensing platform allowed Ogilvy to navigate a complicated production, enabling the producer and agency to focus on successfully landing the message.
The success of Dove and Nike's campaigns illustrates an opportunity for marketers: especially as many organizations are tasked to do more with less. By accessing the most relevant, high-quality photos and videos from the internet, brands have a fast and effective way to create premium ads at scale.
According to a study by Olapic, user-generated content (UGC) can increase brand awareness by 10x and boost customer retention rates by up to 25%.
"Years ago, I used to reach out to people all over the internet -- on Flickr, Vimeo, YouTube, Instagram -- just to find the right content for a campaign," explains Catch+Release CEO and founder Analisa Goodin. "As more platforms emerged, like Snap and Twitter, the supply expanded, but it was highly inefficient.
That's why I created Catch+Release -- to make the internet a legitimate and safe content resource for brands." Our mission is to "license the internet," transforming it into an efficient and predictable content supply chain
Goodin knows the challenges creatives have first hand. Before launching the company, Goodin received her Masters of the Arts and worked in advertising at Goodby Silverstein and Partners, 72, Sunny, BBDO, and Ogilvy.
Today, Catch+Release has raised more than $26M from firms like Accel, a leading global venture capital firm that invests in early-stage and growth-stage technology companies.
Teleflora is another brand that has successfully tapped into content on the Catch + Release platform. For a Mother's Day campaign, "The Hardest Part," Teleflora's creatives wanted to avoid the traditional, generic portrayal of motherhood. They turned to Catch & Release to find and license clips highlighting the natural, bittersweet moments all mothers experience. The team found the perfect emotional images, from first steps to tough goodbyes, all within 24 hours and licensed them within 72 hours
In addition to its filtered search and custom curation services, Catch+Release launched its own Creator Community in 2023, giving brands access to a growing pool of global and diverse content creators. There are now over 2,000 members and more than 1 million published assets.
Connie, a creator in the Catch+Release community, shares her experience: "Every brand needs quality content to sell its products. Consumers are more aware. They know when an ad feels forced. That's why user-generated content resonates -- it's real, and people trust it.
For creators, the platform offers a new way to monetize their work, participate in impactful campaigns, and contribute to storytelling that reaches millions of people worldwide. "I've been a full-time content creator for three years. As a single mother of a son with autism, content creation has been a blessing -- it allows me to work on my terms."
Found content helps brands reflect their audiences by using real-life experiences from everyday people. This approach allows for greater relatability and offers a more diverse representation in advertising. By showing real people in real situations, brands can make their audiences feel seen, fostering a deeper connection and loyalty. In an era where consumers want to see themselves represented, found content delivers diversity in a way that polished ads cannot.
Catch+Release has built a new model for sourcing content that combines AI technology with human curation. Its AI-powered search engine rapidly identifies the most relevant content, but the expert curators often uncover hidden gems. Through its Creator Community, Catch+Release also allows creators to monetize their work, giving brands access to a growing pool of professional talent
Found content enables marketers to quickly discover and license engaging stories without the legal complexities. Catch + Release handles the legal heavy lifting, allowing brands to focus on creative storytelling to meet the growing demands of digital platforms, all while ensuring compliance with rights and usage requirements.