Nike Shows What it Takes to Bleed as One...

Are you looking to create a viral campaign that emphasizes team unity and focus? Are you looking for new ways to engage fans on one united front?

Nike recently released a powerful viral piece that demonstrates the things the Dutch National Team will need to effectively do during the 2010 World Cup to realize their full potential. The piece, entitled "Bleed as One" is very interesting because it uses some unusual imagery to demonstrate how the team will need to compete as a united front with with resolve and focus, not just their brilliant style of play.

Check out the piece below:

Billboard of the Week - Lotto (Soccer)

Are you looking for new, creative ways to promote the game of soccer? Are you looking to feature a non-traditional outdoor campaign in select markets?

Soccer properties looking for new ways to market their organization should consider benchmarking an outdoor marketing tactic Lotto used around the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The company creatively branded the side of an overpass to resemble a soccer goal that fans walked under towards one of the site locations where a World Cup match was being played.

Check it out below:

Red Bull Drives Interest with F1 on Ice Viral

Are you looking for new ways to attract casual sports fans and non-traditional consumers to your sport? Are you looking for unique ways to promote motorsports?

Red Bull recently unveiled a really cool viral piece that features the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team testing the agility and speed of its cars in non-traditional, wintry conditions. The clip, created to celebrate the return of the Canadian Grand Prix, led Red Bull F1 driver Sebastien Buemi and his counterparts to Canada for a test run.

The unique viral piece demonstrates the out-of-the-box thing that needs to become more prevalent in the sport of NASCAR. After all, who wouldn't want to see high-speed racing on ice in the Great North?

Check out Red Bull's creative piece below:

Target Brings Shaun White to New York City

Are you looking for new ways to leverage athlete endorsers? Are you looking for ways to drive awareness without having rights to marks?

Target, a longtime sponsor of Olympian gold medalist Shaun White, recently unveiled a terrific billboard messaging campaign in Times Square in anticipation of the 2010 Vancouver Oympics. The billboards, a creative collaboration between Target, White, and his brother Jesse, were unveiled on January 15th and are set to be changed as the Games near closer.

Target's massive billboard campaign (a combination of nine (9) individual outdoor adverts) serves as a great way to provide Shaun White with a good-luck sendoff, drive awareness for the retailer's exclusive Shaun White 4 Target clothing line, and leverage consumer affinity for the Olympic Games without having rights to marks...

Check out the campaign below:

 

Source: BrandFreak, FreshnessMag.com 

It's Time for the Dancin' Dawgs

Are you looking for new ways to entertain your fan base? Are you looking for new ways to drive awareness for your organization's players?

The folks at the University of Washington are constantly pushing the envelope with new, creative marketing and sales tactics. The UW marketing team recently created an entertaining "Dancin' Dawgs" piece that is played on the video board when the men's basketball team develops a sizeable lead in the final minutes of play.

The clip is terrific in that it allows the athletes to demonstrate some of their personalities and it is a simple, yet very entertaining fan pleaser. Why not remind fans late in the game about how great their experience was?

Check it out below:

Source: Husky Men's Basketball Blog

Bring Your Out-of-Home Campaigns to Life with Steam!

Are you looking for new ways to leverage team partners? Are you looking for ways to bring the excitement of your games to life for fans during the work week?

McDonald's recently teamed up with Cossette, an advertising agency based out of Vancouver, Canada to create a stimulating out-of-home campaign designed to drive awareness for the chain's coffee offerings. Cossette built a steam machine to fit inside a bus shelter that let off periodic bursts of steam, revealing a hidden message about a McDonald's free coffee promotion.

The creative outdoor campaign, executed to perfection, offers some parallels for sports marketers looking for new ways to stimulate consumer awareness:

• Teams can promote an upcoming season (and leverage a home improvement/grill partner) by featuring a branded miniature grill giving off steam that reveals the slogan, "It's Time to Kickoff the Season... Are You Ready?"
• NASCAR (and/or participating teams/sponsors) can feature a visual of a car smoking with a captivating message
• Teams can feature of a picture of players running out of the tunnel with smoke (e.g. steam) exploding from the visual (think of the Miami Hurricanes running out of the tunnel with the steam)
• The Miami Heat (and teams with related fire monikers) could feature an outdoor ad with steam to show opponents cooling off
• Teams can leverage coffee vendors (as seen in the ad) by touting exclusive season-long promotional offers

Join the EA Sports Blindfolded Keepie Uppie Challenge

Are you looking to create a captivating viral campaign that will attract the attention of consumers from across the globe? Are you looking for new ways to leverage athlete endorsers?

Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam teamed up with EA Sports to create a sticky 'keepie uppie challenge' viral marketing campaign designed to promote the company's new game title FIFA10. The creative campaign features the world's greatest soccer players testing their juggling skills while blindfolded. The humorous campaign was designed to entertain and provides an influencial call-to-action for fans to submit videos of their own juggling talents on the promotional microsite.

Check out W+K's creative Blindfolded Keepie Uppie Challenge below, which launched today (12/14/09):  

U.S. Soccer Tests the Skills of an NFL Kicker

Are you looking for new ways to promote the athleticsm of your organization's athletes? Are you looking to cross-promote with another sports organization in your local marketplace?

In July 2009, Philadelphia Eagles kicker David Akers made an appearance at the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team's practice as they prepared for a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals match at Lincoln Financial Field. Akers' appearance made for some quality footage for U.S. Soccer to feature in the viral space.

Members of the U.S. Soccer team battled it out with Akers in a variety of kicking contests, using both footballs and soccer balls. The video below demonstrates how skillful soccer players and NFL kickers actually are, and serves as a great benchmark for:

• Soccer organizations looking to align with other sports organizations in the local marketplace to promote their sport
• College athletic departments looking to showcase a collection of their student-athletes
• Professional organizations looking to showcase the skills of specialty players (kickers, punters, etc.)

Check it out below:

Billboard of the Week - Chick-fil-A

Are you looking for new ways to drive buzz at retail in the marketplace? Are you looking to leverage sports without investing in corporate partnerships?

The Chick-fil-A location in North Canton, OH recently used its outdoor marquee signage to poke a little fun at the hometown Cleveland Browns. The franchisee posted a sign that read "Like the Browns We Take Sundays Off" - a message that remained up for two (2) days.

While this messaging strategy could possibly backfire (alienating avid Browns fans, especially right in the team's backyard), it also could serve as a pivotal way to drive buzz. After all, Browns fans can take a creative joke these days about their favorite team's demise, right? Either way, consumers will remember the signage (and Chick-fil-A in general) each time they pass the location, especially during football season.  

The signage serves as an excellent example of ways that retailers can leverage sports without investing a significant amount of dollars in corporate partnerships. By simply recognizing sports and related events taking place (similar to Trader Joe's local market strategy), retailers can tap into the passion of fans without actually being directly associated. Look for more creative examples of sports branding at retail to come in future weeks!

Source: DC Sports Daily's Twitter Feed

Vitaminwater Goes Viral with Steve Nash and 50 Cent...

Are you looking for new ways to leverage athlete endorsers? Are you looking to create a humorous viral campaign that leverages both music and sports celebrities?

Vitaminwater continues to find creative ways to leverage its celebrity endorsers. This time, the nutrient enhanced beverage company released a humorous informercial parody starring the likes of Steve Nash and 50 Cent. In the piece, Nash directs viewers to log on to Facebook.com/vitaminwater, where they can create their own flavors.

The piece serves as a great way to connect and provide young adults (who would find the piece humorous) with a desirable call-to-action. It also serves as a perfect example of how brands are using their athlete endorsers through a multitude of out-of-the-box channels. The video shows a personal side of Nash that evokes why he is a perfect spokesman for the brand.

Check out the piece below: