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:

Celtics Fans Flock to the Ford Pick-Up Window...

Are you looking for new ways to integrate corporate partners? Are you looking to leverage an automobile partner?

The Boston Celtics teamed up with a participating Ford retailer to create the Ford Pick-Up Window at the TD Banknorth Garden. The select window, featuring the front of a Ford F-150 jetting out of the wall, provides fans with an unforgettable ticketing experience. The window serves as a memorable in-venue destination for fans and team personnel to to pick up/drop off Ticketmaster, team, and internal ticket reservations.

The concept of the Celtics' "Ford Pick-Up Window" is similar in fashion to the Toyota Pickup Center created by the Memphis Grizzlies organization in 2008. Congrats to both organizations for devising new, creative ways to tie corporate partners into the gameday experience in a way that benefits fans!

Source: Flickr photo courtesy of Aviad T

Brands Drive Visibility with Eyeblack...

Are you looking for ways to further integrate your brand in the action? Are you searching for new ways to connect with fans?

Eyeblack (EyeBlack.com) features an innovative, recognizable product for all to enjoy on game day. The company has taken a unique approach to make medical grade athletic tape, adhesives, and customized logos marketeable for both athletes and fans.

Eyeblack's product is currently sold at retail but can be utilized as a great gameday giveaway to drive brand awareness/affiliation. When utilized as a promotional giveaway, Eyeblack can be distributed in promo sheets, which feature two (2) Eyeblack eyestrips complemented by a redeemable coupon/project starter/schedule. The promotional eyestrips are made of the same materials that athletes use on the field. 

For more information on Eyeblack's patent-protected product, feel free to reach out to Brian Hendricks (brianh@eyeblack.com), who does an excellent job taking care of his clientele.

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!

Gillette is Stayin' Alive with Jeter, Woods, and Federer...

Are you looking for ways to incorporate a national media campaign into gameday settings? Are you looking for new ways to leverage athlete endorsers?

Gillette recently launched a bold campaign entitled, "The Walk of Gillette", that places its three (3) key athlete endorsers - Derek Jeter, Tiger Woods, and Roger Federer - in an unforeseen setting (the 1970's). The campaign is designed to spark a "Here's to Confidence" movement that drives consumers to sign up for the chance to win a free Fusion Razor. Gillette is supporting the campaign by giving away free Fusion razors to the first 500 registrants on the promotional page every day for a month from April 16th through May 16th.

What's unique about this campaign?

Gillette is going to feature the 60-second ad on the jumbotron during 17 Yankees home games over the course of the next month (have we ever seen a company leverage this inventory to push a national media campaign?). They are complementing the in-game spot by offering an SMS promotion that will give away free Fusion razors to the first 1,000 Yankees fans that respond to an in-game SMS promotion.  After hearing a Gillette PA announcement, fans are asked to text in a special short code to receive a short code that they can redeem on Gillette's promotional page for the chance to win a free Fusion razor.

The unusual campaign, which emphasizes the confidence consumers feel when using Gillette products (versus a focus on product attributes), is proving to be very popular in its early stages of existence. Since its launch two (2) weeks ago, the Gillette's "Stayin' Alive" piece has garnered over 500,000 views.

Source: MediaPost

Travel the World and Learn from the Best...

Are you a student or young professional looking to enhance your knowledge of the global sports landscape? Are you looking for new ways to connect and learn from one of the industry's most insightful leaders?

Dan Migala, editor of the Migala Report, has teamed up with CartanTours to create The Migala Report International Sports Management Educational Symposium. Migala is leading a group of young sports professionals on an incredible journey to experience the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

The International Sports Management Educational Symposium is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young professionals looking to make an impact in the industry. Dan is incorporating an educational component to the trips which will make the experience very valuable for all. The trip will include seminars on best practices in ticketing, marketing, and sales, and will feature some great networking functions.

Check out more information about the trips HERE.

For more information, please feel free to reach out to Diana Corte at dlcorte@sbcglobal.net and/or check out the Migala Report at www.MigalaReport.com.

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!

As Spring Hits, Baseball Teams Go Green

Are you looking for new ways to make your venue more environmentally friendly? Are you looking for new ways to leverage corporate partners looking to go green at the ballpark?

With Opening Day signaling the start of Spring, a majority of Major League Baseball teams rolled out new environmentally-friendly initiatives that tied in corporate partners. Enclosed below are some excellent ideas implemented by MLB teams that have recently been profiled in some news publications:

• The Atlanta Braves outfitted 2,000 parking attendants, ticket takers, and food vendors at Turner Field in shirts that were made of 50% recycled soda bottles (it takes five (5) plastic bottles to make one shirt). The initiative was suggested by team partner, Coca-Cola
• The Seattle Mariners teamed up with Cedar Grove Composting on Earth Day to shift nearly all food items (plates, bowls, utensils) to compostable materials in an effort to create zero waste during their game that day
• The Arizona Diamondbacks are following the lead of the Washington Nationals and Miami Heat by hireing a consulting firm to help facilitate a LEED certification for Chase Field in time for the 2011 MLB All-Star Game
• The San Francisco Giants partnered with Pacific Gas & Electric to create a green concession stand (featuring biodegradeable utensils, plates, and napkins; lights from compact fluorescent bulbs; energgy-efficient fryers that cook garlic fries). The team also partnered with Esurance to distribute reusable, fabric grocery bags to the first 20K fans on Earth Day and remind fans of ways they can "green" their lives
• Cincinnati Reds outfielder Chris Dickerson is sporting baseball bats with green labels throughout the season and wore a special green and gray glove on Earth Day
• The Boston Red Sox partnered with Poland Spring to create "The Green Team", a group of volunteers wearing company t-shirts and caps who patrol the stands at Fenway and collect plastic recyclables
• The New York Yankees are using energy-efficient bulbs to light the new Yankee Stadium
• The Pittsburgh Pirates partnered with Hess Corporation to use 100% renewable energy at PNC Park on Earth Day as part of the team's "Let's Go Bucs. Let's Go Green." campaign
• The Tampa Bay Rays are offering free parking for carpoolers at their home games this season
• The LA Angels of Anaheim gave free gifts (tickets, movie passes, coupons, etc.) to all fans who brought in a recyclable item on Earth Day
• The New York Mets (among others) are featuring waterless urinals at their new home, Citi Field
• The Houston Astros created a "Home Runs for Trees" program that plants a tree for every Astros home run and celebrated Earth Day with a one-day build of an energy-efficient Habitat for Humanity home
• The Washington Nationals offered an Earth Day ticket promotion where all fans who showed their metro farecard or SmarTrip card at the Nationals ticket office received $3 off any ticket priced at $10 or more

Consider new ways that your organization can go green!

Sources:

BusinessWeek - Green Grow the Ballparks (April 20, 2009 Issue)

MLB.com - Clubs Take Green Approach to Earth Day (John Schlegel)

The Flyers Call on their Fans During the Playoffs...

Are you looking for ways to stimulate playoff ticket sales? Are you looking for a new call-to-action to energize fans?

The Philadelphia Flyers recently teamed up with Verizon and Wawa to create an engaging ticket sales piece designed to serve as a call-to-action during the team's run in the 2009 NHL playoffs. The ticket promotion models the one implemented to drive ticket sales for the University of Gonzaga's women's basketball team.

The Flyers called on a supporting case of players and coaches (Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and John Stevens) to deliver the playoff ticket sales message. The video piece features a realistic setting (making one feel like they are taking in a game at the Wachovia Center) and a cool LED ribbon board feature that shows the message "Calling XXXX". Fans that share the viral piece with their friends can be entered for the chance to win a Flyers Suite.

Overall, the acting could have been a little better but and the Flyers could have integrated Wawa/Verizon in a more unique fashion, but it is still a great piece. Hats off to Channel 1 Media!

A special thanks to Mike Mahoney of the Carolina Panthers organization for his insights and contributions to the column.

Check it out:

 

New Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter!

Today, we released the April Issue of the Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter, detailing best practices, new trends, and creative branding tactics in the sports marketplace. Topics covered in the April '09 Issue include:

1. LED Concourse Signage
2. Targeting Tourism Agencies as Corporate Partners
3. Team Partnership Spotlight: Arizona State University
4. Taking Branding Vertical
5. Overcoming Challenges to Measure ROI
6. The NCAA's Final Four Branding

Check out the April Issue HERE! For past newsletters, check out the archives HERE. Thanks for your continued support.

Guess the Draft Pick, Win a Seahawks VIP Experience

Are you looking for new ways to reward fans? Are you looking to create engaging promotions around the Draft?

The Seattle Seahawks and Qwest recently teamed up to offer the "Qwest Text to Win" promotion, offering one (1) lucky Seahawks fan the chance to experience a behind-the-scenes experience at the team's new training facility.

For the chance to win, Seahawks fans are asked to send a text message to 79378 that contains the first and last name of a player they expect the Seahawks to draft at the #4 position in the first round of the upcoming draft.  On Monday, April 27th, the team will hold a random drawing (which will be announced on ESPN 710) to select one (1) lucky winner out of the all of the correct entries received. The lucky winner will receive a prize pack worth $599 that includes:

• An authentic Seahawks autographed jersey
• A meet-and-greet with the Seahawks' rookies
• A practice visit that includes a tour of VMAC and lunch for the winner and his/her guest

The promotional period for the "Qwest Text to Win" offer is from Wednesday, April 15th to Saturday, April 25th. Only fans located in the state of Washington are eligible to win, with a limit of one entry per phone device.  The team is promoting the offer via bag stuffers and banner ads on the Seahawks team website and the SeattleTimes.com.

The initiative was created and executed by Rebecca Cameron and Mary Scordo at 361 Experiential.

 

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 100 Hottest Promotional Items in Sports...

Are you looking for new ideas for promotional giveaways? Are you looking to track the hottest promotional items in the sports marketplace?

Partnership Activation recently compiled a list of the 100 Hottest Promotional Items in Sports. The list captures a variety of items utilized by sports organizations across the world to drive attendance and incremental fan interest.

Check out Partnership Activation's "100 Hottest Promotional Items in Sports".

Sony Branding Makes Soccer Field Look Like a TV...

Are you looking for new ways to leverage electronics providers? Are you looking for new guerrilla branding strategies?

Sony recently unveiled one of the industry's most unique branding strategies to date. The electronics provider is leveraging a partnership with the Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha Stadium in Ecuador to make the venue's soccer pitch look like a television. The stadium, home to the Barcelona Sporting Club, features a black wrap around the sidelines with Sony branding.

The photo below captures Sony's branding tactic below at the second largest stadium in South America (with a seating capacity of 89,930):

McDonald's Knocks it Out of the Park with Big Mac Land...

Are you looking to create new venue destinations? Are you looking for unique ways to leverage QSR partners?

In 1998, The St. Louis Cardinals and McDonald's teamed up to create Big Mac Land, a special outfield section at Busch Stadium designed to help McDonald's capitalize on the frenzy surrounding Mark McGwire's chase for the home run record. The special in-venue destination instantly became (and remains) a hit with the team's fan base.

Why? Because every time a Cardinals player hits a home run into the Big Mac Land section, all fans in attendance can redeem their ticket for a free Big Mac sandwich at particpating McDonald's restaurants up to a full week after the game. McDonald's also features "Big Mac Land Bonus Nights", when ticket holders can receive a free Big Mac when a Cardinals player hits a home run anywhere in the stadium. The initiatives have resulted in millions of Big Mac sandwiches being distributed to Cardinals fans over the past ten (10) years.

The 181 seats available in the Big Mac Land are a hot commodity (an example of how the Cardinals organization has been able to create artificial ticket demand). Each ticket for the section comes with a souvenier, free McDonalds coupons, and a chance to be seen on the video board at the new Busch Stadium.

What's interesting to point out is that when the hamburger chain created the Big Mac Land during McGwire's chase of baseball's home run record, the slugger did not approve of the tactic. When the Cardinals moved into the new Busch Stadium, the section changed from #383 to #272.

Enclosed is a video of fans seated in the Big Mac Land waving giant foam French Fries while making an appearance on the video board:

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:

Stadium Spotlight: The "New" Kauffman Stadium

Are you looking for new ways to incorporate family entertainment at the ballpark? Are you looking for new venue destination ideas?

The newly renovated Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals, has instantly become one of Major League Baseball's jewel facilities. From 2006-08, the stadium underwent $250MM in renovations, capping the seating capacity at 38,177 and adding a number of new "best-in-class" features, including: 

• Family attractions, including a four-hole miniature golf course, carousel, Mini-K kids ballpark, a kids pitching mound, and video batting tunnels
• The world's largest HD LED scoreboard (a Daktronics display measurig 100x85 feet)
• A collection of branded venue destinations (the Bud Light Party Deck, the Dri-Duck Fountain Seats, the Pepsi Party Porch, the Miller Lite Fountain)
• A 360-degree concourse with an ample amount of room for pedestrians
• Additional suites and group areas
• A spacious Rivals Sports Bar
• Additional new Daktronics displays
  • An outfield fence display measuring 8x128 feet
  • A pair of ribbon boards measuring 4x380 feet
  • Two displays above the stadium's new Hall of Fame measuring 5x108 feet
• A Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame (opening soon)

Check out a gallery of the newly renovated stadium HERE.

Enclosed is a quick clip that captures the team's starting lineups on their new state-of-the-art HD LED scoreboard in center field:

Source: Royals Opening Day Flickr Set

The Panthers See Value in their Carls Furniture Partnership...

Are you looking to fill the furniture category with a new corporate partner? Are you looking for new on-ice promotional ideas?

The Florida Panthers organization have done a tremendous job leveraging their partnership with Carls Furniture & Design, a South Florida retail chain with nine (9) furniture showrooms and eleven (11) patio showrooms.

The Panthers partnership with Carls Furniture includes a mix of assets, highlighted by some initiatives that directly impact the Panthers fan experience at the Bank Atlantic Center:

• Product Integration and Ownership of Outdoor Areas - The Panthers renamed their two (2) ground level outdoor patio and party areas as the "Carls Patios" and outfitted the areas with Carls patio furniture that can be purchased at retail.
  • Each time the Panthers play a game at home on a Friday night, the team features a "Carls Party-O on the Patio" promotion that features grilled-to-order food, Bud Light Lime specials, and live music
• Featured VignetteDisplays - The Panthers refurnished four (4) vignettes in the Bank Atlantic Center - three (3) in the suite level and one (1) in the club level - with Carls Jr. furniture and designs
• Murals Sponsorship- The Partners enabled Carls Furniture & Design the right to sponsor twelve (12) color glass enclosed murals in the suite and club level of the Bank Atlantic Center
• Captivating On-Ice Promotions - The Panthers and Carls Furniture created an entertaining on-ice promotion that featured select contestants racing across the ice on mobilized patio furniture. The promotion (shown in the clip below) is a must-see!

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.