The Toronto Blue Jays Celebrate 80's Night in Style

The Toronto Blue Jays do a terrific job bringing their 80's Nights at the ballpark to life for fans. Check out four (4) great videos below that showcase some of the creative ways the team incorporated an '80s thematic into several elements of their game entertainment.

Consider new ways that your organization can benchmark these tactics to create a memorable night at the ballpark for your fan base! Also, consider approaching one of your corporate partners to see if they would be interested in title sponsoring the night and letting fans relive their brand "in the past" as well! (ala Coca-Cola, IBM, Perrier, Reebok, etc.)

Toronto Blue Jays' 80's Themed Scoreboard Vignette

Toronto Blue Jays' 80's Themed LED Creative

Toronto Blue Jays' 80's Themed Trivia Features

Idea of the Day: M.C. Hammer's Spinning Bobblehead

The Oakland Athletics recently hosted an M.C. Hammer Bobblehead Night that generated a significant amount of awareness for the club's "80's Weekend" at the ballpark. The A's celebrated Hammer's duties as a team clubhouse assistant from 1973-1980 by distributing a replica bobblehead that actually spins - a simple, yet brilliant idea!

Check out the bobblehead below:

July 2011 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter

Welcome to the July 2011 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter! I really appreciate your continued interest and support and think that you are going to really enjoy this month's newsletter.

Here is a link to the July 2011 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter.

The coolest thing in this month's newsletter is the Red Bull Hare Scramble video... I HIGHLY recommend you check it out!

After reviewing the newsletter, please take a moment to share it with friends via email, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, personal blogs, and other platforms and modes of communication. Here is a shortened URL that you can use to include in tweets, etc: http://bit.ly/on6seF

 This month's newsletter features a collection of insights, including:

• Gila River Casino's KaChingKo
• 10 Building Blocks To Help You Become Everything You Can Be
• Eyes on the Industry: Australian Football League
• Navigate Marketing Spotlight: 5 Questions With Mark Friederich
• Using Augmented Reality to Engage Fans
• Drive Merchandise with Virtual Stores
• Leverage Airspace on Gameday to Engage Fans
• LG Uses a Unique Rugby Branding Play to Wash Away the Competition
• Continental Tire Displays The Cage
• IBM Uses Sponsorship Technology to Engage Airport Travelers
• The Sport Industry Daily
• Creativity In the Sports Marketplace
• July 2011 Partnership Activation Rising Stars
• NACMA Spotlight
• A Close Look at Creative Marketing in Major League Baseball
• Creative Tactics From the 2011 College World Series
• The Cincinnati Reds' Dusty Days
• Showtime Delivers a Unique Foursquare Vending Experience
• Idea Box

Click here to check out the July 2011 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter, connect with other readers in the official Partnership Activation LinkedIn Group, and follow Brian Gainor on Twitter for additional sponsorship/marketing tactics throughout the month!

If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to newsletter@partnershipactivation.com. In the body of the email, please include your name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.

Brian Gainor Speaks at NACMA on the State of College Athletics

I wanted to take a quick moment to thank the folks at NACMA (National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators) for allowing me to serve as the Keynote Speaker at the 2011 NACMA Convention in Orlando, FL. It was truly an honor to take the podium and speak with the best and brightest marketers in collegiate athletics.  

The focus of my presentation, "The Current State of Sports Marketing and Forecasting the Future" touched on the current state of collegiate athletics and highlighted ten (10) innovations that college marketers should keep an eye on in the next 2-3 years.  

Check out the entire presentation below:

Brian Gainor Presents on College Athletics at NACMA from Laura Gainor on Vimeo.

Note: I also wanted to send a special thanks to Old Hat Creative for professionally filming the presentation and posting it on the new NACMA Online Library. If you're not familiar with Old Hat Creative, you need to be... they are doing some amazing things in the college space and are a terrific group to work with ... and a special thanks to GMR Marketing as well.

I highly encourage those who work in and around college athletics to make a concerted effort to attend the NACDA Convention on an annual basis, particularly the NACMA discussion panels and breakout sessions. The Convention was truly exceptional, attracting the top college marketers, vendors, and industry minds from across the nation. The event served as a terrific forum to network, share best practices, discuss industry trends, and stimulate out-of-the-box thinking.

Look for more content about the 2011 NACMA Convention in the July 2011 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter and on the site in the months to come!

IBM and Wimbledon Partner to Deliver Real-Time Predictions

For the past 21 years, Wimbledon and IBM have partnered to develop innovative technological solutions to deliver rich content to fans across the globe following the renowned tournament.

Wimbledon celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2011 by teaming up with IBM to present tennis in an entirely new way across multiple media platforms. IBM launched a new Poinstream platform that provides statistics in real-time and allows fans to know what needs to happen for their favorite player to win the match.

IBM uses data from the last five (5) years of Grand Slam play to provide three (3) keys and predicted results based on player stamina and tactics that are measured in real-time and formulated with past performance.

Check out a video that highlights the IBM-Wimbledon partnership and the parties' new Pointstream technology!

Evian Brings Its Roller Babies Commercials Back To Life with a Creative Viral T-Shirt Campaign

In July 2009, Evian struck gold when it released an Evian Roller Babies commercial that quickly became one of the most successful media campaigns of all-time. The clip, featuring a collection of virtual babies performing a series of stunts on roller skates in conjunction with the brand's tagline "Live Young", attracted nearly 60 million views online and generated a significant amount of buzz for the brand.

Now, two years after the launch of the Evian Roller Babies, the brand is still capitalizing. Evian launched a "Let's Baby Dance" campaign that enables consumers to film a video of themselves dancing while wearing a virtual baby shirt to become a part of the longest music video ever produced. The microsite includes tabs where consumers can purchase t-shirts and ringtones utilized in the campaign and download an official iPhone application.

Evian is supporting the campaign with a fully-branded Facebook Page and YouTube page that host a series of entertaining virals. Check out two of the "Baby Inside" virals produced to date:

Evian even produced a version in support of the 2011 Wimbledon tournament, in which the brand was an official sponsor:

The campaign is extremely simple yet brilliant because it demonstrates how teams and brands alike can bring commercial campaigns to life online and potentially capitalize on new streams of revenue from apparel/licensing. If a team/league were able to benchmark this effort and generate buzz around an item of apparel online, they could surely create demand and capitalize on licensing.

Check out some snapshots of the "Lets Baby Dance" microsite below:

Save & Close

Use Humor To Engage Fans During the Offseason

Humor plays a large role in sporting events across the world, on and off the playing field. From the antics of players and coaches to humorous performances by fans on the jumbotron, humor is everywhere on gameday.

As sports properties look to produce new content to engage fans during the offseason, they should consider creating a viral piece that highlights humorous moments on and off the court throughout the season (or over the course of a tournament/event day). From television broadcasts to video board footage, this could actually be a relatively easy task for many teams to compile and produce.

Enclosed below a recent clip from an unofficial source that highlights all the hilarious moments from the 2011 Wimbledon tournament. The clip generated 80,000+ views in less than 2 weeks on YouTube, signaling the fact that fans enjoy consuming this type of content.

Check it out below:

Clint Dempsey Teams Up with Modelo in a Rare Partnership

Modelo Especial recently announced a sweepstakes opportunity for soccer fans throughout the United States in conjunction with a rare partnership with current United States Men's National Team soccer player Clint Dempsey.

The partnership is unique because the United States sports marketplace does not often see current players align themselves with alcoholic beverage partners, notably International brands. The partnership also ties in a third party media outlet, Sports Illustrated, to host the site and provide additional value to the winners.

Modelo Especial is featuring Dempsey in a national sweepstakes offering soccer fans a chance to win a soccer trip of a lifetime. The brand is supporting the sweepstakes with a television ad, POS, and a terrific microsite that allows fans to play goalie against Dempsey in a virtual shootout competition.

Consumers can win the sweepstakes, which awards five (5) grand prize winners a trip for two to attend an International soccer match of their choosing, by entering via tearpads on Modelo Especial POS displays at retail and online at www.SI.com/Shootout, which hosts the microsite. Residents of California can submit an essay for the chance to win a trip to Europe, interview Dempsey live, and blog about their experience attending a Barclays Premier League match on the Sports Illustrated website. 

Consumers can also scan QR codes on Modelo's POS displays at retail to unlock exclusive Sports Illustrated content about the top 11 soccer players in the world. 

Per a recent Los Angeles Times article, Dempsey doesn't see any issues pitching a Mexican beer brand and is excited to partner with Modelo Especial after growing up near Mexico and learning a lot from Mexican players. However, it's ironic to note that Modelo's television ad featuring Dempsey recently aired shortly after the United States lost to Mexico 4-2 in Gold Cup play in June. 

Check out the campaign and microsite below:

Gillette Gives Roger Federer The World's Biggest Shave on Grass

Gillette created a marketing splash in London prior to Wimbledon by creating a giant grass portrait of a freshly shaven Roger Federer in a pasture the size of a football field. Gillette called on a firm called Street Advertising Services to create the massive shaving stunt, which required 3,000 liters of biodegradable green specialist grass paint and 1,000 liters of foam. 

After painting Federer's face in the pasture, the team of artists gave him the Pro Glide treatment by mowing/shaving it off, creating a terrific illustration for consumers worldwide to enjoy. Gillette drove additional consumer excitement by allowing fans at home to submit messages of support to Federer for the chance to have their message included in 10-foot-high letters underneath the grass portrait. The winner, Ryan B., saw his quote, "Go on my man, the world is yours to own!" depicted in the stunt. 

The Federer marketing stunt is part of Gillette's efforts to break their own record for the World's Biggest Shave in 2011. In January, the company lathered up and shaved an image of Derek Jeter on a 40-foot high billboard in New York City.

Check it out below:

Gillette later posted a video of Roger Federer thanking the brand and all his fans for their support:

Sources:

1. Gillette's UK Facebook Page

2. Adland.TV

adidas Drives Store Traffic With Shoe Box Marketing Stunt

adidas celebrated the grand opening of its flagship store in Melbourne, Australia with a creative marketing stunt designed to drive excitement and foot traffic. adidas erected several giant shoe boxes throughout the mall and gave unsuspecting consumers passing by a left shoe with a voucher attached that they could redeem for a free pair of shoes of that style inside the adidas store. 

The adidas marketing stunt was creatively executed and served as a great way to generate buzz and excitement at a relatively low cost. Check it out below:

It would be interesting to see professional sports teams benchmark this marketing/PR stunt to drive awareness and excitement for new merchandise items throughout the season. Teams could set up mystery boxes throughout the concourse (staffed by interns) giving away free apparel and premium giveaways - a tactic designed to drive traffic and sales in the official team shop.

7 Great Promotional Ideas From Minor League Baseball

Minor League Baseball delivers some of the finest, unconventional ideas in all of sports. Here are seven (7) great promotional and entertainment ideas that teams from all leagues can consider benchmarking to enhance the game day fan experience at their venue.

I. Durham Bulls "Rock On" Promotion

The Durham Bulls created an entertaining segment where fans seated along the 3rd base line engaged in a singing competition against fans sitting along the first base line. The team played some commonly recognized rock songs that were easily embraced by the crowd. We should see more of this in Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball! Simple, yet effective. 

II. Live Rain Delay Theater Entertainment (Miscellaneous MiLB Teams)

The following clip demonstrates how a series of MiLB teams used a splash of creativity to entertain fans during rain delays and stoppages of play. The performances require some pre-game planning but serve as a great way to demonstrate additional entertainment value for fans.

III. Lake County Captains - "Are You Smarter Than an Umpire?" Promotion Presented by the Ohio Lottery

The Lake County Captains created a promotion replicating the popular show, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" by creating a promotion where fans can test their sports IQ head-to-head against an umpire between innings.

IV. Charlotte Stone Crabs - Closest to the Pin Contest on Golfer's Appreciation Night

The Charlotte Stone Crabs attracted golfers in the local marketplace out to the ballpark by offering a post-game closest to the pin contest that allowed golfers to test their skills hitting a shot from home plate out to a flag in deep center field.

 

V. Lake County Captains - "The Price is Right" Promotion Presented by BJ's

The Lake County Captains did an excellent job creating a promotion replicating The Price is Right that features three (3) lucky fans being called out of the stands and onto the field to participate for a chance to win prizes.

 

VI. Lake County Captains - "Build El Burrito" Promotion Presented by Chipotle

The Lake County Captains created a simple on-field promotion where fans have to race to use a series of ingredients to build a burrito. The promotion, presented by Chipotle, served as a great awareness driver that also enhances the fan experience between innings.

VII. Lake County Captains - Michigan International Speedway Tire Race

The Captains teamed up with Michigan International Speedway to create a competition where two (2) contestants had to race head-to-head rolling actual tires used in NASCAR races around the infield for the chance to win ten (10) free tickets to an upcoming race.

Guest Editorial - Brands Capitalize on the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup

Hubert Munyazikwiye is the author of SportsMarketing.fr, the leading French blog on sports marketing. Founded in 2007, SportsMarketing.fr focuses on highlighting brand activation across the world of sports. Hubert's articles are written in French but would welcome having English guest writers contribute to the site to share more insights and activation from the United States.

Over the past few weeks, sports fans across the globe have been captivated by the excitement and competition generated around the 2011 Women's World Cup. The competition, held in Germany, has attracted many leading brands across the world who are looking to engage fans in new ways.

Here is a quick breakdown of how some of the leading brands across the world are capitalizing on the craze of the 2011 Fifa Women's World Cup:

GLOBAL SPONSORS

adidas

Amongst FIFA Sponsors, adidas has clearly emerged as the leading brand activating around the 2011 Women's World Cup. Adidas created a special microsite, referred to as the adidas Weltmeisterin 2031, which invites parents to register the birth of their daughter to receive a baby starter kit, complete with a pair of football shoes, a shirt, shorts, and a ball. With the creation of the Weltmeisterin 2031 campaign, adidas can directly contribute to the creation of the next great generation of female soccer stars in Germany, particularly those who could could compete for their nation during the 2031 Fifa Women's World Cup. 

NATIONAL SUPPORTERS (GERMANY)

Allianz

Allianz, a global financial services company headquartered in Munich, dedicated a section of its website to the Women's World Cup. The company partnered with a collection of brand ambassadors (current and former players) as well as Steffi Jones, President of the Organizing Committee, to create a series of short video clips and exclusive blog editorials.

Allianz's World Cup-centric website essentially targets two (2) specific audiences:

1. Fans
   • The site features a "Fanschal" application that allows fans to send messages of support to the German national team, which will be used to create the longest fan scarf ever made. As an incentive, fans receive their very own scarf, produced by Allianz, for every 11 messages they send
2. Young Football Players
   • Allianz dedicated a section of its site to highlight its Junior Football Tournament, an initiative that provides 14-16 year old soccer players in Munich with an ultimate soccer experience. During the tournament, Allianz leverages its partnership with FC Bayern Munich to provide participants with training sessions from pro coaches, autograph sessions with FC Bayern Munich players, and a tour of the team's stadium and trophy room.

Deutsche Telekom

As the Official IT Provider of the FIFA Women's World Cup, Deutsche Telekom created an interesting CSR initiative where the company announced that it will donate 10,000 euros for every goal scored during the tournament. The initiative, entitled Herzrasen, will benefit a charity named "A heart for a child". 

Commerzbank

Commerzbank, a financial institution that is in charge of the Women's World Cup Volunteer Program, created an exclusive online diary for soccer enthusiasts to follow throughout the tournament. The diary, referred to as the Fan Block, features contributions from Birgit Prinz (the best goal scorer in the World Cup), Marko Marin (a German soccer player), and a select fan, Amelie Herberg.

FRENCH NATIONAL TEAM SPONSORS

Credit Agricole

Credit Agricole, a French financial institution, created a video content initiative on their official Facebook page that is designed to drive awareness for the team. The campaign, referred to as "Les Demoiselles de Clairefontaine", profiles players on the French national team by asking them fun questions about their live off the field.

Nike

Surprisingly, Nike has done little to support the Women's World Cup in France. The only remarkable initiative the brand has executed to date is an animation of Laure Boulleau's Facebook page, who is one of the most prominent and attractive players on the French National team. The page features a lot of content (imagery and video) highlighting her and her teammates.

Nike 6.0 Hits The Pool to Engage Skateboarders

Over the past 2 years, Nike 6.0 has taken the world by storm with some brilliant out-of-the-box thinking, generating a significant amount of buzz in the action sports space.

In 2009, Nike 6.0 introduced "The Tunnel Jam" after masterfully renovating an aging tunnel into an extensive skatepark and welcoming the world's hottest skateboarders to test it out. The initiative was filmed and turned into a viral piece that generated 1.4MM views and generated a significant amount of buzz online.

In 2011, Nike 6.0 launched "The Pool", an initiative where the company drained and renovated a pool facility in Dagenham, East London and turned it into an ultimate skate park. Nike launched "The Pool" with a series of virals and introduced the world's finest international BMX riders, skateboarders, and action sports enthusiasts to a whole new experience.

Check out the virals below for more: 

Poll: Which Brand Had the Biggest Presence During the 2011 MLB All-Star Festivities?

Nike Gives Fans an Inside Edge During the Preseason

Nike recently launched a terrific campaign that showcases how the world's leading soccer clubs - Manchester United, FC Barcelona, Club America, and Arsenal - prepare during the pre-season. 

Nike's campaign, entitled "Inside Edge", is brilliant because it demonstrates how brands can effectively leverage their sports partnerships throughout the off-season - a time when many lessen their marketing and activation spend. It also showcases how brands can effectively associate several (but not all) team partnerships in one major consumer-facing campaign.

The pre-season Nike campaign takes fans behind-the-scenes, demonstrating how players from the world's elite soccer clubs prepare for the upcoming season. The campaign provides insightful tips, insights, and advice on a variety of training and performance elements, including:

• Mental Preparation
• Physical Fitness and Training
• Advice from the Pros

Check out a few videos from the campaign below:

Johnnie Walker Black Helps F1 Fans Step Inside The Circuit

Johnnie Walker Black Label launched an exceptional series of online vignettes in 2011 in support of its partnership with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 team. The brand partnered with Just Marketing International to create a "Step Inside the Circuit" series that provides fans with an intimate perspective of the lives of Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, and their respective teams on and off the track.

The video series is very unique in that it was shot in black and white (correspondign with the Johnnie Walker Black Label brand) and it truly portrays the personalities and viewpoints of both Hamilton and Button. The "Step Inside the Circuit" series has been gradually released throughout the 2011 season after filming took place behind-the-sceness during 2010.

The brand is supporting the launch of the "Step Inside the Circuit" series with limited edition product packaging offering fans a chance to win unique motorsports experiences and prizes and are leveraging a tab on the brand's official Facebook page to drive awareness and buzz online.

Check out a few videos from the campaign below:

Create an Element of Suspense With A Mystery Fan Rewards Box

As teams and corporate partners look for new ways to escape stadium clutter and engage fans on-site, they should consider benchmarking a recent marketing stunt implemented by a travel company in France.

The company, Voyages-sncf.com, created a giant mystery rewards box in a crowded marketplace that rewarded consumers who walked up to the machine, indicated where they would love to travel to in the world, and pressed a button, with a huge celebration (and a trip).

Teams could work with a select corporate partner (airline, cpg, beverage company, etc.) to create a scaled down version that rewards fans with a variety of items - similar to the Coca-Cola Happiness machine. Teams could allow 100 fans per game to reap rewards from the Mystery Fan Rewards Box, with one interaction being shown on the video board. Rewards could range from premium items to tickets to VIP experiences.

Check out Voyages-sncf.com's execution below and consider new ways that you can create an "element of suprise and instant gratification" for fans on game day!

Think Out-of-the-Box to Drive Your Team's Facebook Following

Sports marketers looking for new ways to drive their team/brand's Facebook following should consider thinking of some out-of-the-box ideas to engage consumers and drive awareness on game day. While content on team Facebook pages and online messaging/advertising are effective means to drive masses of new followers, here are a few additional ideas to consider:

Team Viral Designed to Drive Facebook "Likes"

Sports organizations can release a humorous viral where players, team personnel, legends, and fans sport giant Facebook "like" hands - as featured in the Andy Murray/Head viral below. Teams can feature players shooting/throwing/catching/making saves using the giant "like" fingers and/or giving thumbs ups, etc. 

Facebook "Like" Stations Throughout the Concourse

Teams can set up 10-15 designated kiosks throughout the stadium concourse (with a "like sign" overhead) where fans can easily follow the team and their favorite players on Facebook. Teams can reward all fans who sign up by creating a "Facebook Fans HOF" that encompasses photos of all fans who sign up to follow all of the players on Facebook. Check out how Hyundai executed a similar initiative at a recent car show: