Apple cider, pumpkin spice, and football. It must be fall, and Ariat is celebrating the festive season by mixing in another favorite American pastime: line dancing. As in “Line-Men Dancing.”
The western and workwear brand’s latest denim and boots campaign stars San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. Known for dancing free of tackles on the field, Purdy along with teammate Jake Brendel, retired NFL tight end Bear Pascoe, and several Stanford Cardinal players show off their in sync moves set to an original track, “Honky Tonk Heartbeat,” by country artist and Ariat ambassador, Annie Bosko. Call it a blend made in Americana heaven.
“Football and line dancing might seem like very different worlds, but at their core, both celebrate teamwork and community—values Ariat has always championed,” says Susan Alcala, Ariat’s vice president of Partnership Marketing. “Football, country music, and line dancing are also things we know the Ariat community truly loves, so it made sense for us to be a part of that conversation.”
Alcala says Purdy is the ideal frontman for Ariat’s latest campaign. First, he’s a “really good dancer.” Second, he’s been wearing Ariat a long time. “We wanted to build on our partnership with something fun and unexpected, yet still deeply aligned with who we are as a brand,” she explains. “He’s a leader, but also relatable—grounded in values like hard work, humility, and family. This campaign is about showing who Brock really is: a guy who believes in teamwork, lifts people up, and is not afraid to try something new in a pair of boots.”
While Purdy says line dancing in boots might be “a little tougher than running a two-minute drill in football,” he’s more than up for the challenge. “I’ve wanted to work with Ariat because there are many brands that change for the world and what the world wants, but Ariat is a brand that knows who it is and stays true to that. I feel like I’m that kind of person, as well.”
The campaign is built for social media, but Alcala expects it will be visible wherever Ariat, 49ers, and Bosko fans are. In fact, she reports that it’s already generated a lot of buzz, especially on Ariat and Purdy’s social media pages. “We’re also inviting fans to share their own version of the dance with us on social,” Alcala says, noting that later this month the video will be featured in a broadcast campaign, including a national spot on the NFL’s Thursday Night Football.
Fans can learn the choreography in this video with Bosko and share their own dance by tagging @AriatInternational on TikTok and Instagram. To watch the full ‘Line-Men Dancing’ video, visit Ariat’s YouTube.
Sting wide square-toe cowboy boot
Annie Bosko
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