Raised in Manhattan, urbanite Jaime Weston, Mgt 94, longed for a college experience down South. But her Georgia Tech education and a strategic route led her back to New York City, where she started her pro marketing career with magazines such as Esquire and Sports Illustrated. Eventually Weston rose through the ranks until she landed a dream job as vice president of brand and creative with the National Football League. Despite league rules, the Alumni Magazine won’t throw a flag on Weston for celebrating that score.
The NFL brand is one of the most powerful in sports. What exactly is involved in managing it on a day-to-day basis?
In my position, I lead the long-term brand and marketing strategy for the league, while working with our 32 teams, our sponsors, our licensees and broadcast partners to protect and grow the NFL brand. I manage the creative department, which is a team of about 25 people. In particular, I oversee all the NFL’s advertising, including the ads we produce for Super Bowl. It’s fun but scary since there are so many eyeballs watching.
The Super Bowl is the most watched event on TV virtually every year, isn’t it?Yes. Super Bowl Sunday is the most unifying day in this country. The reach of the Super Bowl extends beyond just TV, much more than the fans may ever see. If you walk into a Super Bowl city, we’re responsible for the whole brand-related experience—from the minute you get off the plane to the coin toss in the middle of the field.
Is there anything you do to help the different NFL teams with their individual brands?
We’ve helped teams with uniform and logo redesigns. For instance, the Buccaneers just redesigned their uniforms, including an updated color scheme. We also reworked the traditional Dolphins logo, removing the helmet from the dolphin’s head.
How did Tech prepare you for your role?
You learn what you’re made of. There was a great class where the professor taught using the Socratic method. As a junior walking into that class, it was scary and amazing. He helped prepare me to think on my feet.
What kind of career experience did you have before the 11 football seasons you’ve worked at the NFL?
I worked in marketing at several magazines including Esquire, Seventeen, Sports Illustrated and Time Out New York. I was interested in getting the best marketing experience, especially related to emerging brand web sites in the 1990s. I worked for a menswear fashion label based in Milan, Italy, then for Bloomingdale’s, launching its website. I had the experience of a lifetime working with the wife of Michael Dell on the website for her fashion label, which sold luxury gowns online the same way Dell sells computers.
How did you get your foot in the door?
When a friend went to work at the NFL, I learned about an open marketing role there. That’s where all the bits and pieces—all that I had been building towards in my career—came together.
What’s one of the most challenging aspects of your job?
Well, it’s a creative field—creative and stressful. We have very passionate fans. So, when you present a new idea, like a new logo or uniform, 50 percent of the fans are going to like it and 50 percent are going to dislike it. You’re putting your ideas and imagination out there for people to scrutinize, but it’s fun.
What recent creative project are you most proud of?
This year’s NFL Draft [held in May]. What’s so great about the draft is that for three days, we get the most avid NFL fans from across the country in one place in New York City. It was once again a huge success.
Speaking of that, we also heard you had a hand with the movie, Draft Day.
My team was responsible for creating the 2014 NFL Draft materials for the film, so although they filmed the movie a year earlier during the 2013 NFL Draft, all the scenery would appear to be from the 2014 event. There were even some cameos in the film from some of my colleagues which was fun to see. It was all very exciting.
Do you root for a certain team? Are you allowed to say?
Around here, we say we’re a fan of all 32 teams. But being from New York, I bleed green, and people can take what they want from that!
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