Every Snap. Every Pitch.

So much sports advertising is about glitz, glamour and superstars being superhuman.

Dick’s Sporting Goods wants no part of that.

[source: Adweek] “You see Rory and Tiger out there hitting golf balls into cups from a hundred miles away. And that’s cute and entertaining. But it’s not what we’re interested in,” said Seth Jacobs, creative director at Dick’s ad agency, Anomaly. Dick’s is about real athletes in real sports moments. “It’s the level underneath what you see on TV as a fan. It’s the moments athletes know about,” says Dick’s brand vp Ryan Eckel.

For this new spot, Anomaly focused on just such a moment: the dramatic tension after one pitch and before another late in a tied baseball game. Everything about the ad, from the talent to the way it’s shot, is meant to feel real and remind the viewer how intense baseball can be. “There’s a purity to these sports,” said Eckel. “That’s what we’re trying to shine a light on.”