Reebok Creates an Incentive for Fans to Find Their Logo...

Are you looking for a unique way to drive extra attention towards your brand?

Reebok recently announced that it is offering a "Lost Logo Challenge" promotion for all fans attending the upcoming NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Day and viewers watching the action at home (as reported by Terry Lefton in the 12.8.08 Sports Business Journal). The "Lost Logo Challenge" is a watch-and-win promotion that rewards fans who can spot the lone player without a Reebok logo on his jersey.

What are the prizes at stake? All entries with the name of the correct player will be entered into a random drawing for the chance to win one (1) of two (2) four-person trips to the Stanley Cup Finals. Television viewers can enter the promotion by entering online while fans in-venue will be given Reebok branded binoculars and asked to text in their entries.

The "Lost Logo Challenge" promotion was created to effectively drive attention to the Reedbok-made retro jerseys that the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings will be wearing. Reebok is hoping to capitalize on jersey and merchandise sales stemming from the event, which includes outerwear, fleeces, caps, gloves, and scarves.  Reebok is anticipating that the promotion will also solidify its position as an authentic NHL sponsor.

This is a great promotion that will bottom line results and incremental media attention for the Reebok brand!

When in Doubt? Remember, Fans are Easily Entertained...

Are you looking for new ways to entertain fans? Are you frustrated that your current entertainment efforts may not be working?

Remember, fans are easily entertained... it doesn't take much to create a humorous piece that attracts the attention and interest of fans in-venue. After all, one of the biggest highlights from Wing Bowl 13 was a "select contestant" who was tasked with crushing full beer cans against his head at halftime. As you can depict from the video below, this feature quickly became a crowd favorite (although it is not suggested for family friendly audiences): 

In-Stadium Turns Stadium TV's into Sony PSP Branding Pieces...

Are you looking for ways to derive value out of the hundreds of televisions situated throughout your venue? Are you looking for new opportunities to leverage partners looking to drive awareness for their products?

Dave Dressman and his group at InStadium created an incredible in-venue branding campaign designed to drive awareness for Sony PSP's "Madden Entertainment Bundle" among males 12-34 years of age. InStadium worked with Sony PSP to develop a life-size Sony PSP prop that turned flat screen televisions into giant advertising pieces. The props were attached to strategically located televisions in the concourses, pro shops and bar/lounge areas of four (4) NFL venues:

• Cleveland (featured at five (5) home games utilizing sixteen PSP wraps)
• San Diego (featured at four (4) home games utilizing 18 PSP wraps)
• Dallas (featured at five (5) home games utilizing 17 PSP wraps)
• Oakland (featured at four (4) Raiders games and ten (10) A's games utilizing 10 PSP wraps)

InStadium and Sony collaborated to feature the campaign over a three (3) month stretch. The parties complemented the concourse/Pro Shop/lounge branding with a video board "Play of the Game" sponsorship. In total, the unique branding campaign generated nearly 1.7MM impressions.

A special thanks to InStadium's Dave Dressman for his contributions to this column. For more information, please reach out to Dave at ddressman@instadium.com. 

Check out some additional pictures of the unique branding campaign below:

Scotiabank Gets Creative with its CFL Branding...

Is your property/league looking for new ways to promote its upcoming games?

Cocoon Branding Inc. developed a unique billboard branding strategy to drive awareness for Scotiabank's support of the Canadian Football League. Cocoon created a 'Grey Cup Hits the City' billboard campaign for Scotiabank that featured the flags of eight (8) CFL teams competing for the Grey Cup. 

As the playoffs progressed, teams eliminated in each round had their flags lowered to half mast, leading up to the final game in Winnipeg. After winning the Grey Cup, the BC Lions were rewarded with having their team's flag as the only one flying high above the rest.

How can your organization take this idea and run with it?

Organizations can create a similar billboard campaign using flags to drive awareness for their home schedule and/or roster of players:

• Teams can feature the flags of their opponents (raising the opponent's pole above the others) to help promote upcoming home games. Organizations with short home schedules (i.e. football) can feature the flags of all home opponents, while teams with longer home schedules can dissect it by month/ticket packages/conference games, etc.
•  Teams can use a virtual billboard to feature flags with the images of the players in the team's starting lineup to drive awareness for upcoming home games, etc.

Scotiabank's unique billboard campaign was complemented by some non-traditional guerrilla tactics, as seen below:

 

Formula 1 Drives Consumer Awareness in the City...

Are you looking for new ways to drive awareness for your property in the city? Is your organization looking for new ways to garner media attention?

In an effort to drive awareness for Singapore's first Formula 1 race, event organizers created a unique bus stop advertising display that drew the attention of consumers across the globe.

The marketers transformed a normal bus stop in downtown Singapore (outside of Tangs) into an advertising centerpiece for the Formula 1 event using a perched Formula 1 showcar and messaging with a call to action that read, "Be Part of History. The World's First Formula 1 Night Race. Book Your Tickets at www.SingaporeGP.SP".

The bus stop display's unique features instantly caught the attention of passerby consumers, tourists, and numerous media outlets. The display helped generate buzz within the region and across the globe for the upcoming race.  Check out a video of the display below!

Arsenal Boosts Online Merch Sales with Advent Calendar...

Are you looking for new ways to drive online merchandise sales? Are you looking for creative ways to tap into the holiday season to generate incremental revenue?

English Premier League soccer club Arsenal F.C. currently features a unique "Arsenal Online Store Advent Calendar" on its official team website. Fans can return to the team's site throughout the holiday season for the chance to earn new prize (driving return traffic to the site).

In addition, the advent calendar serves as a great way for team's to leverage their merchandise and product offerings in the team shop (offering discounts on select items of the day, etc.).

Organizations can find ways to take the concept of an online Advent Calendar to the next level by incorporating the products and services of corporate partners (enabling consumers the chance to win free/discounted items by checking back regularly during the holiday season for new items, etc.).

If you are looking to enhance your organization's line of merchandise inventory, Arsenal F.C. offers just about everything (from branded toasters to wine hampers to toy boxes) on their Official Online Store.

Cavs Fans "Check-Up" On Their Favorite Players...

Is your organization looking to create a video board vignette in support of a health care partner? Are you looking for new ways to drive health care awareness and messaging?

The Cleveland Cavaliers collaborated with the Cleveland Clinic to create a unique "Cavs Check-Up" feature that the team aired during select games. The "Cavs Check-Up" provides fans with a unique look at some of the humorous personalities and rare attributes of the players on the Cavaliers roster. The messaging resonates with fans, as it's a rare side of the players that can sometimes go unseen during the spirit of competition.

The vignette could do more to push the Cleveland Clinic's services, but it does promote the health care partner's brand in a subtle way. Check out the two (2) clips below to get a feel for how the Cavaliers leveraged the Cleveland Clinic brand to create a humorous "Cavs Check-Up" feature:

Mario Williams... The Super Hero

Are you looking for a unique way to leverage your athletes in-venue?

The Houston Texans have done a great job gradually building the brand of Mario Williams as "Super Mario Williams" during their games... the team created Williams into a character that fans can relate to and enjoy. More information soon to come on how the team acquired the rights to use the Mario Brothers video content!

Check out the clip below:

Billboard of the Week - Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola created a great billboard campaign that resonates well with University of Georgia fans in the Athens, GA marketplace:

Note: Copyright: D Nelson 2008 (Athens, GA - Clarke, County).

Drive Brand Awareness on the Slopes...

Are you looking for new ways to ingrain your brand in the winter sports marketplace? Are you looking for unique ways to capture the attention of skiers, snowboarders, and other consumers participating in winter sports?

In recent years, brands have begun to get very creative with their outdoor advertising campaigns. Companies are finding unique ways to ingrain their brand in the action and blend in with their target consumer... Enclosed below are two (2) great examples of companies who have developed unique advertising campaigns targeting consumers participating in winter sports: 

BMW

ATOMIC 

Virginia Tech Fans Celebrate with the Bleacher Dive...

Does your organization do enough to entertain fans seated in the 400 levels of your venue... the folks who pay the least amount of money to attend your games but are often times your most avid fans?

Consider ways to keep fans seated in the upper levels of your venue engaged throughout the game. From text promotions to t-shirt guns to scratch-off-cards, teams can use a variety of mechanisms to keep fans seated in high sections engaged in the action.

The folks at Virginia Tech may want to look for new ways to entertain their fans in the 400 level (or at the very least, add some new security). The following videos depict how a few Virginia Tech fans have begun the sport of "Bleacher Diving", which will eventually result in a lawsuit of some sort.

Seahawks Fans Receive All Access With Qwest...

Is your organization looking to provide fans with new forms of access? Are you looking to provide fans with new forms of audio and video content? Is your property looking to leverage a media partner/provider?

Qwest Communications collaborated with 361 Experiential and BurstMarketing to create an "all-access" platform that connects Seattle Seahawks fans with their favorite team. The parties teamed up to create "Qwest All Access", an innovative, branded podcast website that ties Qwest Communications' products and services back to their team sponsorship of the Seattle Seahawks. The site does an incredible job tying together Qwest's Internet, HD, and mobile services and integrating their promotional and marketing programs. 

The Qwest All Access site features a variety of media components and interactive features, including:

• Podcast audio content (features include a 5-10 minute audio interview every Thursday with players and coaches, interviews with QB Matt Hasselback (the spokesman of the campaign), pre-season/community service reports, and custom Qwest content and radio ads
• Fan/team photos
• Access to team statistics
• Option to sign up for SMS alerts to receive real-time scores
• Behind-the-scenes information
• Promotions

361 Experiential and BurstMarketing are distributing the site's media content through iTunes and are promoting awareness through multiple channels (press releases, in-game signage/scoreboard, social networking integration, branded email alerts, and web banner advertising on Scout.com, Seattle Times Online, Seattle PI). 

A special thanks to Scott Hutchison of 361 Experiential for his contributions to this column. Keep up the great work!

The Hawks Sell Gators Fans on "The Horford Deal"

Is your organization looking to attract tourists and/or visiting fans to the city to attend a game?

The Atlanta Hawks recently created a unique ticket promotion targeting University of Florida fans and alumni who will be flooding the city of Atlanta to see the Gators play the University of Alabama in the SEC Championship on Saturday. The Hawks organization is leveraging former UF basketball star Al Horford to promote "The Horford Deal" ticket promotion to drive attendance for the team's Friday night matchup against the New York Knicks (who feature former Gators David Lee and Anthony "Peep" Roberson).

What is "The Hoford Deal"? Fans can receive 50% off select tickets by purchasing tickets on www.HorfordDeal.com and/or by mentioning the name of the ticket promotion at the Philips Arena Box Office.

The team is promoting "The Horford Deal" online through the viral piece below:

Looking to Promote a New Shoe to Fans?

Adidas could have distributed miniature premiums to promote Chauncey Billup's select Adidas TS Creater shoe.Is your brand looking to distribute a premium in-venue to drive consumer awareness and interest for a new shoe product? Is your brand looking to promote an athlete's new shoe in the marketplace?

To drive an increased level of awareness in-venue when star athlete's are wearing select models of new shoes, footwear companies should consider distributing miniature sized versions to fans. A similar tactic was created by Adidas, who was looking to promote its various lines of footwear for the 2008 Beijing Olympics in China. 

Footwear/apparel companies could also consider distributing similar premium items to runners at marathons. If Asics was looking to drive awareness for a new shoe model, it could distribute similar premium items (a container filled with a packet of information detailing the benefits/attributes of the shoe and a product model on top) to all runners participating in a marathon.

Consider new ways to drive awareness for your brand's attributes to consumers in a valuable way!

What Happens When Michael Jordan Takes on a CEO in a Game of Hoops?

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see Michael Jordan battle some of the world's greatest businessmen in a game of basketball?

The Wall Street Journal recently released a great piece of footage from 2003 that shows Michael Jordan trying to teach Ariel Investments CEO and Chairman John Rogers a thing or two about basketball... the only problem is that Rogers actually is the one who takes Jordan to school.

Check it out below:

In sports business today, we repeatedly see companies spending large sums of dollars to align with the world's greatest athletes. Will we soon see similar viral pieces emerge on the web of athletes performing in 1-on-1 competitions with representatives from sponsoring partners? Tiger Woods playing a round of golf for an extra $50K? Probably not, but it would make for some great, authentic viral awareness!

A special thanks to Kynon Codrington of ESPNRise.com for passing this piece along...

Create a Landmark for Your Brand in Venue...

Is your brand looking to enhance its presence in-venue? Is your organization looking to sell different sections of your venue to pillar partners?

Upon building Ford Field, The Detroit Lions organization did an exceptional job finding a way to enable Pepsi to escape from the clutter. The organization collaborated with the folks at Pepsi to create the Pepsi Tower, a large pillar feature that has become a landmark in-venue for fans to connect, etc.

While the Pepsi Tower is not subtle by any means, it does provide some insight into ways that properties can effectively brand certain sections of their venue. For Pepsi, the Pepsi Tower serves as a great "ownership play" that demonstrates to fans that Pepsi is a premier supporter of the Detroit Lions organization.

The Lions have currently partnered with Pepsi to also offer the "Pepsi Pack", a promotional offer that enables fans to purchase two (2) upper-level seats, two (2) soft drinks, and two (2) hot dogs for just $99. The Pepsi Pack is being made available by the team for select games during the 2008 season. In addition, the Lions organization recently held the 22nd NFL Pepsi Punt, Pass, and Kick Championships for Michigan.

Click here for more pictures of the Ford Field experience (Boston Wolverine's Flickr page).