Nike Gives Marathon Fans All New Access on Race Day

Are you looking for new ways to bring your marathon events to life for consumers? Are you looking to showcase celebrities participating in your events?

In November 2009, Nike and BBDO teamed up to create a unique application that enabled people to receive real-time updates from celebrities, runners, and journalists participating in the Nike+ Human Race 10L Live from Argentina.

Nike provided five (5) select runners with iPhones that transmitted their voice recordings (during the race) into text messages that were posted on Twitter and related social networking websites. The phones were also equipped with GPS devices, allowing fans, participants, and onlookers the ability to track their exact location on the course when sending the message.

The tactic served as an effective way for Nike to bring the actions, thoughts, and emotions of its celebrity participants to life for all to enjoy. Check out how they implemented the campaign below:

Puma Celebrates the Game of Soccer in Africa

Are you searching for new campaigns centered around the World Cup? Are you looking for new, compelling soccer campaigns?

Puma recently released an outstanding World Cup advertising campaign entitled The Journey of Football. The spot, created by Syrup, showcases the impact that soccer has had across Africa and celebrates the origins of the game and its ability to unite nations.

Puma's campaign serves as a great example of ways that non-Official brands can still create captivating campaigns that energize consumers around the world. 

There's no question that this Puma spot, to the tune of Gnarls Barkley's hit song 'Going On' will get you excited about the upcoming 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Check it out below: 

 

Capitalize on Marathon Traffic with Street Teams

Are you looking for new ways to capitalize on marathons taking place in your city or town? Are you looking for ways to impact a race participant's experience?

Nike recently drove awareness at the Los Angeles Marathon by hiring a street team to engage with consumers while they passed the Niketown retail location in downtown LA. The street team, dressed in green spandex outfits (resembling green men) electrified the race participants by dancing and showcasing signs.

Check out the clip below, and be sure to tune into the :55 mark where there is a race participant wearing a classic "PedEx" outfit that resembles a FedEx truck:

An Inside Look at Target Field

With the 2010 Major League Baseball season right around the corner, the Minnesota Twins are set to unveil their new state-of-the-art facility, Target Field, on April 12th. The $412MM venue will soon be referred to as one of the finest venues in all of baseball, with a number of elements and amenities that will be sure to turn a few heads.

Check out a full gallery of the stadium's signage, unique elements, suite levels, and more HERE.

A few unique stadium elements include:

• A full roof canopy soffit (to protect fans from weather)
• Warming shelters
• A retro sign in the outfield that lights up and moves when a player hits a HR
• A life-sized Dave Winfield figurine in the Plaza
• Team branded wrap inside the adjoining transportation station and light rail cars
• A stylish Metropolitan club
• A bronze glove photo display
• Unique mosiac displays
• A really cool quote wall
• Budweiser Deck in LF
• The 4th largest video board in all of Major League Baseball

In the past few weeks, the Twins organization has featured a tremendous outdoor billboard campaign throughout the city to drive awareness and excitement. The billboard campaign is simple, yet creatively genius. Check out some of the outdoor messaging campaigns below:

 

Partnership Activation - March 2010 Newsletter

Are you looking for the latest and great best practices in the sports marketplace? Are you looking for new ways to leverage corporate partners?

Take a moment to check out the new March 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 monthly newsletter. If you like what you see, please pass it along to two (2) friends in the industry.

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

• Store Challenges
• Insights Into Using Crowdsourcing in Sports
• Carlsberg Lets Fans Give Their Best Pep Talk
• Selling Signage for International Stars
• Details on the Top 50 Sports Business Blogs
• The March 2010 Recipients of the Partnership Activation Rising Stars Program
• Sports Social Media Watch - World Class Moustaches
• Activation Tactics from the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games
• 2010 F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix
• Ways to Leverage a Dr. Pepper Partnership
• Creative Activation Tactics

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.

Check out the March 2010 Issue now... and don't forget to pass it along to some friends!

  

The Crew Highlight Their Fan Experience to Drive Sales

Are you looking for new ways to drive ticket sales? Are you interested in creating a video that captures the complete fan experience at your games?

The Columbus Crew recently turned to Outsider Entertainment to create a video montage that fully captures the fan experience and will serve as an effective way to drive ticket sales. Outsider worked with the team's corporate sales department to create a tremendous video that the team could utilize in a variety of messaging channels, including the team blog, email blasts, television spots, corporate sales presentations, ticket sales videos, and partnership marketing materials.

The video does a nice job driving excitement with highlights of the game experience and then provides an inside look at the fan experience with insightful testimonials. Check it out below:

Crew Ticket Sales & Testimonials from Outsider E on Vimeo.

Leverage Players to Promote Non-Profits

Are you looking for new ways to promote non-profit organizations and charitable partners? Are you looking to new ways to create an enticing call-to-action for fans?

FC Barcelona star Lionel Leo Messi recently teamed up with UNICEF, the team's jersey naming rights partner, to create a powerful viral piece designed to drive awareness and participation in support of a good cause. The 22-year old footballer recently signed a 2-year commitment with UNICEF to work on behalf of the world's most vunerable children and created the viral spot to encouage others to join him in his efforts.

The piece is powerful and extremely well done. Check it out:

Who in the World Can Challenge Cristiano Ronaldo?

Check out this really cool Joga TV piece by Nike that features Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic challenging one another in a skills showdown. It is pretty interesting to see how Nike is beginning to incorporate more and more technology into their productions...

Take an Inside Look at the Heineken Holland House

Are you looking for new ways to enhance your hospitality footprint? Are you looking to create an on-site activation plan designed to spur nationalism?

Since 1992, Heineken has created a "Holland House" at each of the Olympic Games for all Dutch athletes, family members, friends, sponsors, media representatives, and VIP guests to enjoy while demonstrating their support for the Dutch athletes during Olympic competition.

The Heineken Holland House, serving as the home of the Dutch Olympic Committee, is an ultimate fan destination for those attending the Olympic Games. In 2010, the Heineken Holland House featured a main hall that hosted 4,000 people every night with various entertainment, including celebratory medal ceremonies and nightly performances by Dutch artists and DJ's. The venue also features a Lodge Restaurant as well as a number of interactive games for all to enjoy.

Check out a behind-the-scenes look at the incredible venue:

JetBlue Lands at the BankAtlantic Center

A rendering of the JetBlue tailfinAre you looking for new ways to leverage airline partners? Are you looking to bolster your gate entrances with elements that drive awareness for your organization's cornerstone partners?

The Florida Panthers and JetBlue are celebrating their partnership by featuring a 22.5' x 26' airplane tailfin outside the BankAtlantic Center in South Florida. The fixture will serve as a gathering place for fans prior to games, concerts, and related events taking place at the arena. The tailfin will be revealed at a ceremony prior to the Panthers home game against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, May 16th in an area the team is calling the "JetBlue Tarmac".

The giant tailfin signifies a non-traditional landmark that teams can consider incorporating at stadium gate entrances to drive greater awareness for their airline partners. With custom airline paint schemes becoming an industry trend, a signature tailfin landmark serves as a great way to tie everything together on-site for fans.

Ad Graphics, a corporate partner of the Panthers organization, built the tailfin off-site and transported multiple pieces to the BankAtlantic Center parking lot in early March to be assembled. Check out how the team built the giant tailfin here.

The Panthers and JetBlue announced a partnership in November 2009 and are further leveraging the agreement with TrueBlue Nights at the BankAtlantic Center, joint marketing promotions, and advertising. On TrueBlue nights, fans can receive a free ticket to a Panthers game by wearing blue or signing up to become a TrueBlue Member.

Nike Welcomes Action Sports Enthusiasts to "The Farm"

Are you looking to feature action sports in non-traditional settings? Are you looking for new ways to incorporate action sports?

Nike continues to revolutionize the action sports space by refurbishing non-traditional areas into ultimate attractions for skateboard/snowboard enthusiasts. Nike recently ventured to the German countryside to create its newest action sports spectacle, "The Farm".

Once the project was complete, Nike invited some of the world's greatest action sports enthusiasts to try out all of the new toys it had to offer... Check out the viral piece below!

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:

The Cavs Set a Record with Snuggie Night...

Are you looking to offer new premium giveaways for fans? Have you considered attempting to set a Guinness World Record at your venue?

Sports organizations looking for ways to enhance their premium giveaway nights should take a moment to benchmark the Cleveland Cavaliers' recent Snuggie Night presented by KeyBank. The team took the Snuggie giveaway night to the next level by asking all fans with a ticket to arrive early to the game to partake in a Guinness World Record attempt. The offer was so enticing, tickets were rumored to be going for 10-times face value for the event.

For the first five (5) minutes of the game, 20,000+ rabid Cavaliers fans wore their Snuggie, helping the team set an official record for most fleece blankets of one (1) colors worn in one (1) place: 20,562. While fans put on their cool premium giveaways, so did Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and the Cavs' dance team, who were given custom versions. Even the Cavaliers and Pistons players were given special, large-sized versions of the Snuggie premiums with their names and numbers monogrammed.

What are the chances of setting your own official Guiness World Record? Unfortunately, just 3% of the 60,000 applications submitted on an annual basis are approved and executed. But they can always say no...

Check out a video of the Cavs' Snuggie execution below! Well done, especially to KeyBank on their post-event execution featuring a microsite with pictures, videos, and a sweepstakes offer for fans who weren't able to attend!

 

A special thanks to Alex Vitanye of the Ohio University Center for Sports Administration for his insights and contributions to this column. Source: Cleveland.com

Pitch a Perfect Game in MLB2K10 and Win $1 Million

Are you looking for new ways to entice fans? Are you looking for the hottest new promotions in sports?

2K Sports recently announced that it is offering a $1 million prize to the first person who throws a perfect game in its new release, MLB 2K10. The skill-based challenge marked a unique way to engage fans and drive a significant amount of buzz around the release of the game on March 2nd.

The simple catch? Entrants must record the entirety of their game, either with a camera aimed at the television or recorded digitally. To ensure legitimacy of submissions, 2K Sports is working with Twin Galaxies, a worldwide sanctioning authority for video game high scores and records... And only one (1) person can win!

The chances of a perfect game happening in the Major Leagues? Just 16 perfect games have been thrown in Major League Baseball since 1901 (during a stretch of 160,000 regular season games).

The company created a special microsite to reveal the details around "The Battle for $1,000,000", which included a set of nine (9) detail instructions:

1. Get a copy of MLB 2K10 for XBox 360 or Playstation 3
2. Read the Perfect Game Official Contest Rules and Legal Rules Carefully
3. Print a Copy of The Perfect Game Checklist to Help Ensure You Don't Miss a Step
4. Set up a Recording Device to Record Your Perfect Game Attempt
5. Play Your Perfect Game Attempt in the MLB 2K10 Contest Mode in the MLB Today Section and You Must Use the Pitcher That is Set to Start the Game for That Particular Day
6. Throw a Perfect Game Without..
   1. Making any pitching substitutions
   2. Calling any coaching visits to the mound
   3. Pausing the game
   4. Delaying the game (waiting 60 seconds or more between pitches)
   5. Changing any of the control options. User must play using Total Control Pitching and Total Control Hitting (these modes are set to default when attempting the perfect game)
7. A Verification Code will Appear After Your Perfect Game - Input That on the Perfect Game Website
8. Print Two (2) Copies of the Verification Confirmation Page
9. Send Via Overnight Courier Your Recording Of Your Perfect Game on DVD Marked with Verification Code, Name, and Gamertag to 2k Sports Attn: MLB 2K10 Promotions Team 10 Hamilton Landing Novato, CA 94949

Check out the promotional trailer below:

Source: Kotaku.com

Activation of the Day - Cheerios, 2010 Olympics

Cheerios capitalized on the buzz in Canada surrounding the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games by creating an initiative that provided consumers with an opportunity to cheer on their favorite Team Canada athletes. 

In September 2009, Cheerios began selling boxes of cereal with a dotted line around the "Cheer" on the front of Cheerios boxes that consumers could cut out and mail in to demonstrate their support. The Cheer cards were addressed to the Olympic Village with postage covered by Canada Post and were featured on different displays across the city. Check out the final product of the campaign below:

Molson Brings Canadian Nationalism to the Olympics

Are you looking for new ways to build nationwide excitement? Are you looking for ways to activate at global events?

Molson Canadian featured one of the best activation footprints in all of Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic Games. The brand's "Hockey House" was a hometown fixture that turned out to be the best place for hockey fans to watch games and listen to the latest Canadian music in Vancouver. But that wasn't all the brand did to support Canada's efforts to host the Olympic Games.

Check out some of their creative activation tactics below:

Molson Canadian Hockey House

Molson Canadian Digital Guest Book

Molson Canadian Rally Book

Molson Canadian also cheered on Team Canada by creating a "Made from Canada Rally Book", filled with thousands of good luck messages from fans across Canada, that was presented to some notable Canadian official prior to the hockey team's match against Russia. Check it out below:

Molson Canadian 2010 Mural Project

Molson built a mosaic of individual fan photos spanning a 4,000 square foot section on the outside wall of the Kitsilano brewery in Vancouer. The brand collected photos submitted via the site http://www.molsoncanadian.ca/2010muralproject/ to build a surprise Olympic-themed image and message for all consumers visiting the city to see. Check out how they launched the project:

Molson Canadian "Made from Canada" Commercial

Molson unveiled one of the finest Olympics commercials of all-time in 2010. The brand's "Made from Canada" piece does an incredible job screaming patriotism. Check it out below:

The Dodgers Get Interactive with Digital Fan Billboards

Are you looking for new ways to engage fans prior to the season? Are you looking for new ways to drive fan engagement online?

The Los Angeles Dodgers recently teamed up with Channel 1 Media to create a terrific customized online campaign to engage fans prior to the start of the 2010 MLB season. The two parties created a really cool campaign that enables fans to create their own billboard... in a matter of seconds. The initiative, designed to drive fan interest and ticket sales, is a turnkey piece that can be implemented by teams from all leagues.

The campaign is really simple, yet very interactive and fun for consumers. The best part is the fact that it ties directly back to the Dodgers' terrific "This Is My Town" billboard messaging campaign from 2009 and truly lets fans be a part of the action. Channel 1 Media and the Dodgers also did a great job building in social media functionality to help the campaign go viral (see the Facebook, Twitter, and email functionality on the last picture below).

Check it out at http://channel1media.com/dodgers/2010/

Castrol Creates the Ultimate Kicking Machine

Are you looking for new ways to integrate technological advancements and sports? Are you searching for ways to incorporate non-traditional partners?

As soccer fans gear up for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, BP Castrol Japan is drawing a significant amount of buzz after creating a kicking machine that can kick a soccer ball 200+ kilometers per hour. BP Castrol Japan is leveraging the machine by offering a "Win a Trip to Challenge Ronaldo" promotion where fans from select countries can enter online for a chance to battle Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the world's most powerful shooters, in a head-to-head soccer kick competition.

Castrol signed a six-year agreement in June of 2008 to be an Official FIFA World Cup Sponsor after successfully deriving value out of the Castrol Index, an innovation it created in support of the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. 

Watch the kicking machine in action below: