Falcons cheerleaders go on the offensive, get squad makeover

the Atlanta Journal Constitution
August 18, 2010

It’s 5:30 a.m. and it’s already dripping hot in Cancun.

The only relief is a wind whipping off the Caribbean Sea and through the hair of Devon, who has already been up for more than two hours, going through a carousel of makeup artists, including one with a tricked-out blow dryer. For what seems like forever, and each time the camera shutter clicks, Devon’s long blond hair bounces in the wrong direction. Sitting a few feet away waiting her turn, one of the Falcons cheerleaders yells, “Don’t you quit, girl … don’t you quit,’’ and seconds later the breeze dies and the photographer gets the shot he wants. But for these ladies, the day wouldn’t end for another 14 hours.

Meet the new Atlanta Falcons cheerleaders.

Behind owner Arthur Blank, who built his fortune by developing a highly recognized consumer name and ensuring strong customer service, the Falcons are working on building their cheerleaders into their own stand-alone brand. Could they be the new Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders? Why not, says the club, which has been waiting for this town’s embrace; during a tiring and sand-filled, three-day calendar shoot to help promote their look, one cheerleader was heard saying, “If this doesn’t get them in this town to like us, then I don’t know what will.’’

The Falcons are quickly becoming known as one of the most aggressively marketed teams in the NFL — with a boss not shy of putting his money where his mouth is — and the Falcons’ front office has made the cheerleading program a priority, accelerating to Michael Turner-like overdrive and getting the expanded 40-member squad new uniforms and their own website (atlantafalconscheerleaders.com), while also making an even bigger commitment in the community. And, of course, there is the upcoming calendar, the team’s first since 2002, a full 32 pages of bikini-clad Falcons ladies, which will hit the streets the first week of the regular season.

“I think the calendar is just the icing on the cake,’’ said Chato Waters, a former Falcons cheerleader who now coaches the team. “I think the foundation has always been there … talented women, articulate, educated, active in the community. And yes, we wanted to add a different aspect to the program (the calendar) and to really show how glamorous these ladies are.’’

And quickly added Chato, “I cannot wait until our fans see the new uniforms — they are glamorous, they are hot, they are sexy.”

In an age where the NFL, and really professional sports teams in general, have placed more importance on their franchise off the field, the Falcons are all about extending their brand. Their current marketing program, called Rise Up, features a slick television commercial starring Samuel L. Jackson, who is backed by a gospel choir. The spot can be seen all over the internet and has been viewed more than 78,000 times in one YouTube posting. In it, Jackson cries out, “This is our time, Atlanta!’’ The cheerleaders feel the same way.

Said Jim Smith, the team’s chief marketing officer, “We want our fans to know the cheerleaders are an important part of the Falcons organization. We looked at what other high profile NFL squads were doing and our cheerleaders were doing a lot more for our community. Our number-one goal is to raise awareness for the squad and to incorporate them more into the game-day experience, where they have greater interaction with fans. They are going to be out front greeting the fans during the games and integrated more into the overall game experience. The calendar will be great, but it is only one facet of raising the profile of the Falcons cheerleaders.”

And the ladies are ready. During the Cancun trip, Natalie finished her session by saying, “This has been a long time coming for Falcons fans.’’

Still, no matter how the story is told, cheerleaders are graded by their looks and attitude and Stephanie Blank, who is the wife of the owner and who works closely with the cheerleading squad, has been very careful to keep everything about the ladies tasteful. And after seeing the best of the more than 10,000 photographs taken, she was thrilled, saying, “I think the calendar highlights in a classy way the beauty and fitness of our cheerleaders.”

Simply put, Blank and Company are doing all they can to put the team’s squad on display. It’s now the city’s turn to take notice.