The Cavs Create a "Must-See" Playoff Proposal...

Are you looking for a humorous way to drive attention to your team's playoff campaign? Are you looking to make a parody of a national media campaign?

The Cleveland Cavaliers recently released a classic promotional piece to drive awareness for their 2009 playoff run. The piece, a parody of the Heineken Walk In Closet commercial, is a humorous campaign that shows a host of Cavaliers players enjoying their playoff experience.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns organizations are truly serving as leaders in the viral space. Both teams have posted a countless amount of captivating content on YouTube for fans to enjoy. There isn't a team in the NBA that seems more relaxed than the Cleveland Cavaliers. Check out the classic clip below:

Billboard of the Week - Fallsview Casino

Are you looking to leverage the affinity that fans have for sports without having any ownership of rights to marks, athlete endorsers, etc.?

Fallsview Casino recently created a tremendous billboard messaging campaign that capitalizes on the affinity Canadien consumers have for the game of hockey. Without leveraging any partnership rights (marks, logos, etc.), Fallsview Casino created a hockey-related tagline that will resonate with its targeted consumer base and drive consideration.

The company's billboard campaign demonstrates the influential power that sports as a medium can offer marketers. Companies with small marketing budgets should consider benchmarking Fallsview Casino's billboard campaign as a way to leverage fan affinity without actually paying for rights. After all, why not capitalize on such a strong passion point?

Consider new ways that you can use a touch of sports creativity to drive your brand!

New Djokovic Tennis Ad Turns Heads...

Are you looking to create a humorous viral campaign? Are you looking for new ways to leverage athletes in non-traditional sports?

Head recently released a creative viral campaign that helps bolster the profile of rising tennis star Novak Djokovic. In the clip, Djokovic becomes distracted from the action on the court when he notices an attractive woman in the crowd.

The ad, which most would find pretty strange (some might find it funny), has served as an effective way to get consumers talking about the Head brand. The ad does a nice job fixating the Head brand in a pop culture niche within the tennis community, which could serve as an effective ploy if it can grab the attention of enough young consumers drawn to the game of tennis. 

The ad was created by Aimaq Rapp Stolle, the Feed Company, and 7th Chamber. Check it out below!

Billboard of the Week, Detroit Tigers

Are you looking for ways to show your team's appreciation for past greats?

The Detroit Tigers recently honored Mark "The Bird" Fidrych, one of the club's all-time greats, with a billboard to commemorate the contributions he made to the organization. Fidrych unfortunately passed away on April 13th, 2009 at the age of 54. 

The billboard served as a symbol of appreciation and support on behalf of the Tigers organization and its fan base. Check out the billboard below: 

The "Bruins Hockey Rules" Campaign Sparks Viral Buzz...

Is your brand looking to create a humorous viral campaign to drive fan excitement? Are you looking for new ways to drive attention to your organization's playoff run?

In an effort to drive buzz around their 2009 playoff run, the Boston Bruins recently released a classic "Bruins Hockey Rules" campaign that features the team's mascot enforcing some hockey etiquette. The Bruins teamed up with Mullen, a Massachusetts-based advertising agency, to create a playoff campaign that features both viral pieces and print ads.  

The club does a tremendous job building buzz and interest for its first round series against the Montreal Canadiens with three (3) humorous clips, which have all generated 70,000+ impressions in just a matter of a few days:

Billboard of the Week - Nike, Toronto 10K

Are you looking to create a messaging campaign that resonates with young adults? Are you looking to drive interest in running in a non-traditional manner?

There isn't a company out there that does a better job understanding its customers needs and interests better than Nike. The enclosed billboard serves as a perfect example of Nike creating a captivating thought-starting campaign that resonates well with consumers. 

Using a creative tagline emblazoned in bold colors, Nike provided just enough information in the billboard campaign to peak one's interest in the '05 Toronto 10K running event.

Source (Photo): jonesov

The Thrashers Create Great Promo but Fall Short with UCantAct.com Execution...

Are you looking for a new way to entertain fans in-venue? Are you looking for new ideas for skits to feature on the video board during intermission periods and stoppages in play?

The Atlanta Thrashers recently featured a humorous in-game promotional video board vignette that poked fun of current and former hockey players starring in commercials.

The promotional video primarily centered around Capitals F Alex Ovechkin's terrible singing performance in a commercial for Eastern Motors. The team's creative vignette was met with a chorous of cheers at Phillips Arena. Check out the campaign below:

The only problem with the campaign? At the end of the vignette, the Thrashers directed all fans in attendance to UCantAct.com, a website that actually hadn't been purchased (a lack of execution on the team's part). As buzz around the promotional video began to circulate, Atlanta-area interactive designer Jeremy Heilpern acquired the domain and uploaded an apology to the site's visitors.

What was Heilpern's claim? While he wasn't in charge of the campaign, he could be, and would have done a much better job, recommending that the Atlanta Thrashers should have instead created a micro-site as an engaging payoff for viewers.

Billboard of the Week - Nike, Bayern Munich

Are you looking for a new way to drive attention to your organization's star athletes? Are you searching for new ways to implement a unique billboard campaign?

In 2007, Nike took its soccer branding to another level when it plastered a giant billboard of Bayern Munich's star player Franck Ribery on the side of the Catholic Church of St. Kajetan (commonly referred to as the Theatinerkirche). In the ad, Nike heralded Ribery (a new signee) as the new king of Bavaria, dressing him up in a king's garb for the campaign.

The campaign was very controversial on two (2) fronts:

• For a few days, Nike positioned the ad on the side of the church (a very unlikely place to feature a billboard campaign)
• Franck Ribery is muslim (which was controversial for some of the church's followers)

Nonetheless, it was a very interesting campaign that peaked the interest of many around the globe. It wouldn't be surprising to see Nike feature a similar ad for "King" LeBron James at the Buckingham Palace if the NBA continues its efforts into Europe and the Far East! 

Check out Nike's campaign below:

Source: Flickr Photos - airmax808 / Content: Wissens-Werkstatt.net

The Twolves Create a Kevin Love Infomercial...

Are you looking for creative ways to market your organization? Are you looking for new ways to promote athletes on your team for accolades?

Over the past few days, the Minnesota Timberwolves have generated some buzz with their new infomercial campaign touting Kevin Love as a candidate for the NBA's Rookie of the Year Award. The Timberwolves created a classic campaign that features Kevin Love showcasing the "Mr. Love Miracle Glass Cleaner", a product that Love says is the secret to his success around the boards.

The Timberwolves are supporting the initiative with a micro site - www.votemrlove.com - and a 4:16 YouTube viral piece (shown below) that is generating a significant amount of attention in the online space. To make an impact on the ROY voting process, the team sent the marketing campaign to the 125 media members who decide which player is the most deserving of the award (who may have missed Love's stellar play in '08-'09 due to the Timberwolves 21-54 record).

Check out the TWolves infomercial campaign below... it might spark some ideas for your organization!

The FFA Promotes Upcoming Match with Unique Soccer Viral...

Are you looking to create a viral campaign to promote an upcoming match? Are you searching for ways to drive incremental fan interest? 

The Football Federation Australia recently created and released a captivating soccer viral piece designed to peak curiousity and interest for the team's World Cup Qualifier match against Uzbekistan. The FFA took a very unusual approach in creating the piece - they actually decided to promote the opposition (Uzbekistan) instead of their own club.

To spur interest in the match, the FFA decided to create an unbranded viral piece that showed what-appeared-to-be the Uzbekistan club being subject to extreme training methods, to not only drive awareness but to also instill fear (and interest) into the Austrailian football faithful.

Since its release, the "extreme training" viral piece has done extremely well as its garnered nearly 320,000 views online. While the viral could be determined by some as deceptive, the FFA claims that the video is purely a piece of entertainment. But while some debate over the clip's intent, thousands of others are left wondering whether the content is real... an extremely well done soccer viral piece!

Enclosed are two (2) versions of the viral piece:

The FFA's Authentic Promotional Video

The Viral Piece That Has Generated 318,000+ Impressions

Billboard of the Week - Gatorade, Mia Hamm

Are you looking to create a messaging campaign that demonstrates the passion of female athletes? Are you looking for a creative way to promote the game of soccer?

In early February, Gatorade plastered a giant billboard of Mia Hamm on the side of a building at Fountain Place in Dallas, Texas. The billboard campaign (part of Gatorade's new "G" messaging) does a great job portraying the passion and emotion Mia Hamm exemplified as a professional athlete. Check out the messaging campaign below:

 Sources: Flickr photos from dasgogo

Billboard of the Week - Manny's Back!

Are you looking to welcome a high profile athlete back to your organization? Are you looking to create a brand building billboard campaign?

The Los Angeles Dodgers organization celebrated the return of star LF Manny Ramirez during the offseason by featuring a "Manny's Back" billboard campaign along major roadways across the city. The billboards served as an effective reminder of team's commitment to winning and stimulated buzz and interest for the upcoming season.

Check out the billboards below that capture Manny Fever in LA:

 

The Australian Football League Releases a Captivating Ad Campaign...

Are you looking for new ways to make your sport/organization resonate with a new fan base? Are you looking to create a captivating advertising campaign that is relevant across the globe?

The Australian Football League (AFL) recently kicked off the start of Aussie football season with an epic advertising campaign entitled "League of its Own" that features 19 AFL stars competing in different stadium environments around the world (boxing rings, soccer fields, etc.). The 60-second clip concludes with Hawthorn's Buddy Frankling kicking a goal.  

The spot, created by George Patterson Y&R and produced by Revolver Film, will be supported by a season-long campaign featuring online, viral, radio, outdoor, and print elements. Check it out below:

Billboard(s) of the Week - Kobe and Michael

Are you looking for new ways to leverage athletes (both current and former) in captivating messaging campaigns? Here are two (2) best-in-class examples of ways that the world's leading companies are leveraging their athlete endorsers: 

Nike - Kobe Bryant Billboard featured in Global City, Philippines

Nike uses this billboard to illustrate that Kobe Bryant is an uncanny specimen

Gatorade - "G" Ad featuring Michael Jordan, Chicago

With this billboard, Gatorade proves that one can never go wrong using a vintage retro moment.

H-O-R-S-E? Kevin Love is the King of Trick Shots...

Are you looking to create a viral piece that drives additional buzz for your organization?

With the NBA set to host a game of H-O-R-S-E for the first time during the league's All-Star Weekend Festivities, a viral clip that ToppsTV created in August with Minnesota Timberwolves rookie forward Kevin Love is really starting to generate some buzz in the social media marketplace.

The ToppsTV clip features a behind-the-scenes look at Kevin Love attempting a variety of trick shots from behind the arc. The video was designed to help drive attention to the company's Topps Camp, a 2-day basketball camp held in Beaverton, Oregon. In the clip, Love amazingly puts his skills to the test and proves why he is the King of Trick Shots, performing four (4) unusual attempts:

• A Bounce Shot from the Three Point Line
• A Backwards Over-the-Head Shot from the Three Point Line
• A Behind-the-Back Shot from the Three Point Line
• A Drop Kick Shot from the Three Point Line

Check out the clip below:

Billboard of the Week - Mammoth Mountain

Are you looking for a creative way to drive eyeballs to your outdoor messaging?

Using a 3D illusion, Mammoth Mountain created a fantastic billboard campaign that was simple, yet effective. Consider new ways that you can use simple out-of-the-box tactics to drive awareness for your brand!

Billboard of the Week - Liverpool FC

Are you looking to draw significant attention to your brand? Are you looking for new billboard techniques?

Liverpool FC recently did a terrific job turning a construction site into a mega billboard for their organization. The EPL club teamed up with Adidas to create a unique billboard that demonstrates that the Liverpool FC is more than just a team... it is a family crest.

Check out the billboard below:

New Nike Viral - Celebrity Escapes the Paparazzi...

Are you looking to create a unique viral piece that captures the lifestyles of athletes of the field? Are you looking to provide fans an alternative look at the lifestyle of athletes?

Nike recently released a tremendous viral piece that features Taylor Momsen, a star actress on the show Gossip Girl, using Nike products to escape the paparazzi. The clip shows Momsen sporting Nike gear (a sports bra and shoes) as she performs acrobatic stunts in an attempt to run from a bombarding group of paparazzi outside her local gym. Check out the piece below:

It would be tremendous to see a company like Nike create a similar piece that captures an athlete facing the paparazzi craze after winning the Super Bowl or another historic event. Nike could create some very interesting pieces showing Ladainian Tomlinson outrun the paparazzi with his 4.42-40 speed or Troy Polamalu posing as a member of the paparazzi and stalking down an opposing quarterback off the field.

Consider new ways that you can position your brands/sponsored athletes in the limelight with creative viral pieces!

Billboard of the Week - Maker's Mark

Are you looking to create a billboard campaign that includes a call to action for fans?

Maker's Mark recently featured a great billboard campaign in Times Square. With a simple call to action for consumers (Honk if you like Makers), Maker's Mark turned their billboard into an engaging piece that calls on fans to demonstrate their affinity for the brand.

Why can't sports properties implement a similar messaging platform to drive fan spirit during the regular season and playoffs? Wouldn't a similar piece serve as a perfect branding tool for the Arizona Cardinals to currently put up in downtown Glendale, Arizona?

Keep your billboard messaging simple, yet engaging!  

LeBron and State Farm Announce... He is a Cleveland Brown?

Over the past few weeks, State Farm has secretly captivated the minds of Americans with a teaser announcement featuring LeBron James standing at a podium and making an announcement that he will follow his first love. The commercial stirred the thoughts and emotions of many (sports fans, general consumers, Cavs fans, Knicks fans, etc.).

Well, the day has come - January 18th, 2009 and State Farm officially released "Lebron's announcement"... The follow up commercial features LeBron at the podium revealing that he will become a Cleveland Brown! As sports fans everywhere feel a pinch of excitement, the commercial soon later reveals this to only be a dream.

State Farm does a great job tying the theme of the commercial back to their corporate slogan... The campaign (which brings back memories of Michael Jordan's stint in baseball) is extremely intriguing and will quickly win over the thoughts and minds of sports fans everywhere. Check out out State Farm's creative ads below (hopefully the first of many):

Note: State Farm and LeBron James entered into a marketing agreement in February 2008 in an effort to target the young adult market and provide children and young adults with safer, stronger, and better-educated communities. The relationship was officially announced at the 2008 NBA All-Star game. It is interesting to note that the company publicly promotes the fact that Lebron has been a State Farm customer since 2004.