Johnson & Johnson is taking flight with the New York Jets, joining the NFL team’s roster in a multiyear agreement as its official medical innovation sponsor.
Under the new sponsorship, unveiled Wednesday, the New Jersey-based pharma will join forces with the Jets to promote to the team and its fans the importance of taking care of one’s health and celebrate the work of healthcare professionals.
A J&J and Jets crossover isn’t a novel phenomenon: The team is co-owned by Woody and Christopher Johnson, heirs to the J&J fortune.
To kick off the new sponsorship, J&J and the Jets debuted a PSA campaign starring Jets linebacker Quincy Williams, who talks in a minute-long video about J&J’s work to develop cancer treatments and discusses his firsthand experience with his late mother’s cancer diagnosis, which led him to become an advocate for cancer awareness.
“Your voice matters. Talk to your doctor, understand your options, and own your treatment decisions,” Williams says in the “Stories of Strength” PSA.
J&J is also set to serve as the presenting sponsor of the Jets’ edition of the NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” initiative, in which pro football players choose a cause important to them to be represented on a custom-designed pair of cleats. In its new role, J&J will spotlight Jets players’ causes and cleats in the lead-up to the team’s Nov. 30 game against the Atlanta Falcons, in which they’ll be wearing the shoes.
Additionally, as part of the new team-up, the Jets are launching a “Healthcare Hero” program. Each month, the team will spotlight a different local healthcare worker’s community impact in digital content on the Jets’ website and social media channels as well as with an in-game recognition.
Finally, the sponsorship will place J&J signage around MetLife Stadium during Jets home games, while also featuring the company in “Protect Your Health” messaging that’ll appear on the stadium’s video boards during defensive red zone stands throughout games.
“The Jets are honored to team up with Johnson & Johnson to recognize healthcare workers in our community that put in countless hours to protect all of us," Jeff Fernandez, senior vice president of business development and ventures for the Jets, said in the announcement. "Through this meaningful sponsorship, we will be able to promote the importance of early screenings for critical illnesses, while showcasing the value in healthier lifestyle habits and then extending the awareness of health issues to Jets players’ personal support of the My Cause My Cleats program.”
J&J is far from the first Big Pharma to be drafted to a pro sports team. Earlier this month, Vanda Pharmaceuticals became the first drugmaker to serve as a jersey patch partner for a pro hockey team as it signed a sponsorship deal with the New York Islanders.
Meanwhile, earlier this year, Novartis was named the first corporate pharma partner for the NFL itself—which included throwing its support behind leaguewide health-focused initiatives like “My Cause My Cleats.”