Kicking off the NFL draft season with a star-studded film paying homage to a West Coast classic
The Los Angeles Rams are bringing back a West Coast classic and paying tribute to New Line Cinema’s Friday to jump-start the NFL draft season, acting as the centerpiece video of the 2026 campaign.
The Rams are an original Los Angeles sports team and the city’s Super Bowl LVI Champions. Known as one of the oldest franchises in football, the team carries pride and value in making its surrounding community and the greater L.A. area a better place.
The campaign features the team’s fresh new logo and updated uniforms, along with star-studded appearances. O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Destin Tucker; the sons of Ice Cube and Chris Tucker, have both decided to fulfil the legendary roles that have helped define generations of L.A. football fans.
2026 ‘Thursday’ Draft Film for the LA RamsCredit: Brevin Townsell/Los Angeles Rams
Football, culture and comedy are coming together to create the Rams’ latest content piece titled Thursday. Posted just a week before NFL Draft Week, the video is available on all of Ram’s digital and social streaming platforms.
Located southeast of Inglewood in West Athens, Los Angeles, near SoFi Stadium, the team decided to celebrate the roots of the community while keeping their tribute authentic to the original.
Rapper YG filming 2026 Rams campaignCredit: Brevin Townsell/Los Angeles Rams
The project also features Terry Crews, rapper YG, Rams players Kevin Dotson, Jared Verse, Byron Young and radio legend Big Boy.
Scroll to continue reading
What is Thursday and the Draft Week Experience?
Thursday highlights the suspense and excitement of the Draft and potential player picks for the Rams. It takes you through a series of comedic and nostalgic scenes with characters that reference the upcoming event. The video takes you through a countdown of familiar moments that lead up to one of the biggest events to start off the football season.
Leading into Draft Week, the Rams are introducing Zillow Draft House, a fan-facing pop-up experience that opened on April 16 at Cinépolis Inglewood in Hollywood Park. The attraction features a living room for fans to feel what it’s like to be drafted, a small turf football field and an exclusive retail shop.
Hosted at Hollywood Park, the Rams will have a multi-day celebration for their fans, which includes a Rams Block Party sponsored by Zillow.
Jared Verse, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Terry Crews, Destin Tucker, Byron YoungCredit: Brevin Townsell/Los Angeles Rams
Fans will be able to watch the Draft while also getting the chance to enjoy carnival rides and games. Ticket proceeds from the Fan Fair will go towards the Rams Foundation, which focuses on providing Angelenos with access, countless opportunities and equality.
Kevin Dotson behind the scenes of the Rams campaignCredit: Brevin Townsell/Los Angeles Rams
TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles are all agencies that helped the Rams bring their vision to life while working on Thursday. Their main goal was to highlight the social impact of Friday in all L.A. communities.
Creative teams worked with the Rams to ensure that casting, locations, and storytelling were all done correctly in accordance with the original film.
The Rams are hoping that this campaign reflects the diversity in the culture of Los Angeles rather than solely focusing on the nostalgia aspect.