Cubs Fans "Love Me Tenders"...

Each and every postseason there is one baseball element that captures the attention of sports fans everywhere... From Steve Bartman to the Rally Monkey, people love baseball and superstitions...

What happens to be this year's postseason frenzy? Well, it just happens to be tied to a promotional offer created by the produce company Love Me Tenders. Love Me Tenders is currently running a promotion offering a free "Love Me Tenders, the official chicken of the Cubs" t-shirt to all Cubs fans who purchase four (4) bags of Love Me Tenders and redeem their UPC's with an official redemption form. Love Me Tenders are sold at select stores in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia.

The problem that Love Me Tenders is facing with its "Official Partner of the Chicago Cubs" designation, is that their promotional territorial rights are limited to the Chicagoland area. Love Me Tenders is currently not legally allowed to sell the t-shirts and are seeking help from folks in the industry on how they can escape the restrictions to satisfy the existing demand for the shirts amongst Cubs fans around the globe.

But how exactly did the shirts become such a phenomenon? Check out an excerpt of the history behind the frenzy in a great article written by Nick Zaccardi on MLB.com:

The Cubs have a "good-cluck" charm. It's a staple of the clubhouse, more popular than Carlos Zambrano's bobblehead collection. It's a gray cotton blend T-shirt that hangs in most lockers, resembling that rag you throw on when everything else is dirty.

"Love Me Tenders, the official chicken of the Cubs," the shirt reads in red and blue letters. Everybody who's anybody can be seen wearing it at press conferences, while working out or under their jerseys during games. Why is it so popular? Comfort.

"Everybody wears them, everybody loves them," said starting pitcher Jason Marquis, who requested a few extra Love Me Tenders shirts to wear in the offseason. "It just feels nice on your body when you wear it."

It all started with a Zambrano photo op in April.

"Carlos put it on and immediately said, 'Wow, these are fantastic. I want to keep this shirt,' and he started wearing it around the clubhouse," said Matthew Wszolek, the Cubs' director of sales and promotions. "Next thing you know, it's monkey see, monkey do."

The idea for the shirt hatched in a coed softball league. A team comprised of marketing personnel for Love Me Tenders decided on the design for uniforms as a way to get the word out for the young company.

Love Me Tenders became the official chicken of the Cubs this season, and employees wore the shirts during promotional giveaways at home games. Once Zambrano took a liking to it, others quickly followed.

"In a week, we had a roster in front of us with every player's size," said Michael Myers, managing director for the advertising agency InStadium, Inc. "Every player wanted a shirt. It was nuts. It was absolutely ridiculous. We were just laughing. It's a softball team shirt."

Derrek Lee wore it for a five-minute interview on ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption" in June. Lou Piniella had it on during a postgame press conference after being ejected against the Marlins on July 26. In August, Detroit Red Wings hockey star Chris Chelios requested one to wear while singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and Ryan Dempster hooked him up.

Opposing players are catching on, too. At the request of Adam LaRoche and Matt Capps, Marquis sent a couple of shirts to the Pirates. They'll just have to cover up that pesky Cubs logo.

Anybody can get a shirt by filling out a form on the company's Web site, lovemetenders.com, and mailing in four UPCs.

Myers' softball team won its league title, so he likes to say the shirt is 1-0 in championships. That record will be put to the test during the next month.

"The Cubs make their own luck, we're not claiming anything," Myers said. "What we do is make good chicken."

Nick Zaccardi is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

A Special Thanks to John Canaday of Banshee Music for his insider knowledge and contributions to this column.

Looking to Add Fan Entertainment Elements?

Are you looking for new ways to engage consumers during timeouts in play, concessions breaks, and pre-game/post-game periods? Are you looking for new ways to provide fan entertainment in your concourse levels?

The Milwaukee Brewers have done a tremendous job enhancing the fan experience at Miller Park with a multitude of entertainment elements:

• In-game entertainment (e.g. Klement's Sausage Race)
• Unique VIP sections (e.g. Mercedes-Benz Field Haus)
• Tailgating (unlike anywhere else in baseball)
• The Associated Bank Kids Zone, a new 8,000 sq. foot interactive entertainment area with activities for children located near the right field corner. The area, which opened in March 2008, includes a batting cage, pitching cage, and a number of other unique fan friendly elements:

"RACE TO FIRST BASE" SIMULATOR - The Brewers have created a unique entertainment feature that enables fans to feel like they are racing Corey Hart down the first base line.

"RACE THE SAUSAGES" SIMULATED GAME - An area where fans can race one another while pushing replica models of the Worlds Famous Klement's Racing Sausages.

"MAKE YOUR OWN BASEBALL CARD" STATION - The Brewers have created a feature within the concourse level where fans can create their own baseball cards for a nominal fee.

BERNIE BREWER SLIDE - Young Brewers fans can experience the rush that Bernie the Brewer feels sliding down his slide on a mini-setup in the Kids Zone.

UNIQUE "PHOTO OPP" AREAS - The Brewers dugout and a giant baseball glove.

SOURCE: All pictures included in this post were taken and featured on the 620 WTMJ website.

Notre Dame Soccer Drives Buzz With Skills Video...

Is your brand/organization looking to enter the viral space to promote its upcoming season?

The Notre Dame men's soccer team created a very cool (yet cost effective) viral clip to promote its 2008 soccer season. Members of the team videotaped themselves performing cool soccer tricks and stunts. The 2:04 clip was posted on YouTube in early August as a way to drive some national buzz about their talents, etc. It's only a matter of time before we see more tech-savvy student athletes creating similar "highlight" videos...Check it out below:

Looking for Corporate World Information?

Is your brand/organization looking for a new resource for corporate news and information? Is your organization looking to do some background homework on potential partners and clientele?

A new "must read" source for information is Business Week's Business Exchange.

What is the Business Exchange?

The goal of Business Exchange is to provide users with actionable insight delivered in a workflow tool that will increase your productivity. The Business Exchange is a Web site that allows users to create business topics, collaboratively aggregate content from the entire Web and connect with other business focused users around these topics. On Business Exchange you can:

• Find Information on Any Business Topic
• Find Information that is Most Useful to Other Users (Blog Posts, Most Viewed Topics)
• Collaborate with Other Users (Registration Required)

• Keep Track of What You've Done (Registration Required)

Business Week has made it extremely simple for users to create a profile on the Business Exchange. Users only have to link up their Linked In profile (through a simple function featured on the site) or type in some standard user profile data.

If you have a moment, check out the Business Exchange... To gauge the usefulness of the site, simply type in "Sports Marketing" in the search bar and see how many of the latest news items on that topic are featured. It is a great source for information and will only become more useful!

PepsiCo Challenges AB's Super Bowl Ads...

Do you have the skills to create a better Super Bowl commercial advertisement than Anheuser-Busch?

If so, you have a chance of winning $1MM from PepsiCo as part of their new promotional efforts to steal some of the limelight from Anheuser-Busch. PepsiCo is offering up the $1MM grand prize to anyone who can create a Super Bowl commercial for its Doritos tortilla chip brand that trumps all other advertisements in the USA Today's Super Bowl Ad Meter. Anhueser-Busch has walked away with the top Super Bowl spot the past ten (10) years. PepsiCo is hoping that the high stakes of its promotional efforts will not only place them atop the Super Bowl advertising rankings, but that it will deliver months of pre-game buzz leading up to the game's kickoff. 

In January, consumers will have the chance to choose the best consumer-generated ad from a group of five (5) finalists that will air during the Super Bowl. Regardless of the outcome, each of the five (5) finalists will still win $25K and a trip to the Super Bowl.

With :30 Super Bowl spots selling for $3MM (a 10% jump from the '08 SB contest), public relations and advertising executives say that winning the "pre-game buzz" battle is a critical way to offset the high costs of investment. For example, Nationwide Mutual Insurance claims to have received $23.3MM of free publicity from its '08 Super Bowl ad starring Kevin Federline.   

Source: The Wall Street Journal (PepsiCo Seeks to Raise Stakes on Super Bowl Ads)

Movie Promotion Asks University Bands to Battle It Out...

Are you leveraging your University/team's band to its fullest potential?  Are you looking for new ways to align sports and movie releases?

ESPN, Paramount, and Lucasfilm Ltd. have teamed up to offer "ESPN's Battle of the Bands and the Quest for Crystal" contest. The competition pits seven (7) of the nation's top marching bands against one another in a quest to see who can perform the best two (2) minute rendition of the Raiders of the Lost Ark theme song. Paramount and Lucasfilm Ltd. collaborated with ESPN to create the contest in support of the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull being released on Tuesday, October 14th.

Consumers are asked to watch each of the seven (7) performances on the promotional website on September 29th and vote on which unit performs the best act. The University band that registers the most votes by October 11th will win a $25,000 donation from Paramount and Lucasfilm Ltd.

All promotional participants will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a VIP trip to an ESPN Bowl Game of their choice or a copy of the new Indiana Jones DVD box set signed by Harrison Ford.

Paramount and Lucasfilm Ltd. collaborated with ESPN to create the contest in support of the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull being released on Tuesday, October 14th. Participating bands include: The University of Florida, the University of Texas, Louisiana State University, the University of Georgia, the University of Southern California, Clemson University, and Auburn University.

Check out the preview of the promotion below:

Looking to Create Content Without Rights to Marks?

Are you challenged with aligning your brand to a sports property, despite owning any proprietary rights? Are you looking for creative ways to derive entertainment in the sports space?

Carlsberg created a unique soccer campaign in 2006 that demonstrates a squirrel's soccer abilities after drinking some Carlsberg. The clip does a great job of integrating humor and sport and proved to be extremely popular with consumers despite Carlsberg's lack of affiliation with any sports properties.

Check out the clip below:

Are Your Gift Card Sales Down?

Are your gift card sales taking a hit during the troubling economic times? If so, you are not on an island, according to a recent MediaPost article (Even Gift Cards Get the Blues) .

Across the board, consumers are buying fewer numbers of gift cards and they are placing less money on the cards they do buy (according to the Hartman Group). Despite the fact that gift cards remain the gift of choice for many shoppers and people love receiving them, people just don't have the amount of disposable income to spend in 2008.

The survey by the Hartman Group also revealed that 1/3 of consumers are consciously planning on cutting back their gift-card spending during the holiday season, meaning that teams will be without a revenue source that they have become accustomed to over the past few years. However, team gift cards will not be affected as much as retailers, who depender heavier on gift card purchases made by consumers with less disposable income.

Who will still be the main purchasers of gift cards in the Fall of 2008?

• 60% of consumers plan to purchase at least one gift card (the average person purchases four (4) gift cards)
• Women ages 18-24 and parents with kids under the age of 18 are the most likely buyers
• Consumers with 75K HHI plan to buy 5.64 cards; consumers that make less than $75K plan to buy 3.98 cards

Is Your Brand in the Hands of Consumers?

Are you looking to put your brand in the hands of more consumers? Are you looking for new ways to make your brand top-of-mind when consumers attend sporting events?

The Washington Wizards found a unique way to do this by featuring AOL branded beers in the AOL Executive Suite at the Verizon Center. The picture on the right of the AOL branded beerwas taken at a Wizards game in 2007 when the the team hosted the Detroit Pistons. This creative branding tactic opens up a variety of sponsorship ideas within the realm of sports.

Branding cups (especially in the suite/100 levels) for specific fans/consumers is a new inventory piece that teams can sell to supporting partners. While this may not appeal to some brands (e.g. automobile partners), others may love the fact that they can have their logo in the hands of consumers consistently throughout the duration of a sporting event.  

If your team/organization is looking for a company that specializes in branding plasticware, etc. take a minute to check out BrandedCups.com

ESPN Amplifies Its Outdoor Branding...

Are you looking for an out-of-the-box outdoor branding idea?

In an effort to promote its 'Is it Monday Yet?' campaign, ESPN posted hundreds of turf-like branded mats in bus shelters and outdoor areas across the nation. Each of the branded mats featured a different football-related phrase, such as "T.G.I.M.N.F"., "Sack Monday's Doldrums", and "Stiff-Arm Monday's Suckery".

The outdoor branding campaign proved to be extremely popular... but actually too popular with fans. The issue? Consumers loved the turf-like mats so much that they started stealing them. Within the first week of the campaign, nearly 10% of the outdoor ads in New York City had been stolen (20 of 205). Thefts also occurred in Boston (3), Chicago (6), San Francisco (2), and Washington D.C. (5) despite the fact that some of the outdoor ads are 72"H x 96"W in size.

As a result, ESPN has temporarily halted the installation of more turf-like branded mats in major cities around the nation. While turf-like mat branding proved "too popular" for ESPN's tastes, it definitely is a promotional item that football teams (and other sports teams playing on turf) can consider creating to distribute to their supporting partners and select season ticket holders.

Looking for New Ways to Sell Tickets?

Is your organization looking to offer its fans a unique ticket package? Are you looking for creative ticketing strategies to fill the seats of your venue?

Several NBA teams are currently offering some unique ticket packages and incentives for prospective season ticket holders to consider. Here is a quick rundown of some of the league's finest ticketing strategies:

Indiana Pacers - The Indiana Pacers have teamed up with Mountain Dew to offer a "Mountain Dew Big Slam Corner" season ticket package for $299. The team promotes the offer as "It's The Thing to Dew". For $299, fans can receive one (1) ticket to every home game, two (2) Mountain Dew 12-packs, in-game giveaways and monthly prizes, and exclusive Pacemates access. The team is also offering its fanbase the "Slam Dunk Sampler Plan", providing fans with tickets for eleven (11) games for the price of eight (8).

Miami Heat - The Miami Heat are offering the "D. Wade Gold Medal Ticket Special" for the first 100 Heat fans who purchase 2008-09 season tickets with an exclusive D. Wade meet-n-greet and an autographed photo of Wade with his Gold Medal.

Milwaukee Bucks - The Milwaukee Bucks are offering an "Early Bird Buy One, Get One Free" offer for consumers purchasing a season ticket in the lower level. In addition, the Bucks are throwing in a $400 ticket bank and either $400 in concessions, merchandise, or an autographed authentic jersey.

Minnesota Timberwolves - The Minnesota Timberwolves are offering a "Buy One, Get One Free" offer for season ticket holders. The team is selling a "Player Section" offer that enables fans who purchase two (2) season ticket in their favorite player's section to receive an autographed authentic Timberwolves jersey and a Meet-n-Greet with that player (sections: Randy Foye (104), Mike Miller (118), Kevin Love (124), Al Jefferson (138).

New Jersey Nets - The New Jersey Nets are offering a "Buy One, Get One, See Everyone" where fans can receive the jersey of their favorite rookie, team meet-n-greets, and exclusive benefits when buying season tickets.

New York Knicks - The New York Knicks are giving all consumers who purchase season tickets by November 1st a Player Memorabilia Box with a photo of a Knick alongside an authentic Knicks jersey number (Knicks fans can choose from Nate Robinson, David Lee, Jamal Crawford, Walt Frazier, or John Starks).

Orlando Magic - The Orlando Magic are offering a "Get a Year of Basketball With Your Stimulus Check" ticket promotion where fans can see all Magic home games for $585 ($13/seat).

San Antonio Spurs - Fans who purchase one of the Spurs three (3) Mini Packs (10 Game Rivalry Pack, Superstar 25 Game Pack, or the 10 Game Weekend Pack) will receive a limited edition Manu Ginobili bobblehead.

Capture Fan Interest Through Unique Coupons..

Are you looking to create a unique coupon distribution program that will drive consumers back to retail? Are you looking to differentiate your coupons/project starters in-venue?

Taco Bueno created unique in-venue coupon distribution programs to leverage its partnerships with the Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, and Dallas Mavericks. As demonstrated by the picture on the right, Taco Bueno created eye-popping coupons with catchy phrases in an effort to drive consumer interest and trial.

In addition, Taco Bueno has used a variety of in-game tactics to promote its distribution of free taco coupons:

• Texas Rangers - Taco Bueno offers a "Taco Time" feature during the fifth inning of Texas Ranger games to reward fans with free tacos
• Texas State University - Taco Bueno offers a "Magic Minute" promotion, where all fans in attendance can win a free taco if the Texas State Bobcats score in the last minute of the soccer game
• Dallas Mavericks - If the Mavericks score over 99 points, all fans in attendance win a free Taco Bueno taco
• Dallas Stars - All fans in attendance win a free taco if the Stars score three goals or more

PA Activation Galleries - Updated!

The PartnershipActivation galleries (Activation Gallery, Global Activation Gallery) were recently updated with hundreds of new photos. Take a moment to check out new pictures of sports billboards, sports vehicles, sports inflatables, activation tactics, and more!

Billboard of the Day: Puma Promotes Usain Bolt's Olympic Accomplishments (displayed in NYC):

MIZZOU Gets Creative With Its Billboards...

Are you looking to implement a unique billboard campaign that drives eyeballs?

The University of Missouri recently created a unique billboard campaign in Kingdom City, Missouri that captures the attention of all passerby consumers. The University used six (6) billboards to spell out M-I-Z-Z-O-U along a half-mile stretch of I-70... one cannot help but look at the billboards.

The University of Missouri accompanied each of the prominently featured letters with a website, ticket hotline number, or motivational message.

Check out a video below of the view that drivers have of this classic billboard campaign along the highway!

Let the Fans Speak...

Have you considered new ways to incorporate fans into your team's broadcasts? Are you looking for additional ways to leverage media partners?

Sky Sports, a major media outlet in the United Kingdom, recently created the "Sky Sports FanZone", a program that enables die-hard soccer fans in the UK the opportunity to serve as live commentators for their favorite clubs. Sky Sports selects two (2) fans from opposing teams to voice their opinion on a live match each week. The selected contestants also are provided the opportunity to write pre-match blogs that are featured on SkySports.com as a build-up to their cameo appearances.

Clips and pictures of the commentator interaction are then featured during the broadcast, on the Sky Sports website, and on YouTube.com. To be eligible to win, consumers just have to fill out a simple application form online (or by emailing fanzone@skysports.com), explaining why they should be chosen for the contest. SkySports details on the FanZone webpage that contestants should be passionate, knowledgeable, talkative, funny, opinionated, confident, and positive-minded.

This would be an incredible feature to offer on Monday Night Football, TNT's coverage of NBA games, and/or Hockey Night in Canada... Give your fans a voice through an engaging platform!

Check out two (2) entertaining Sky Sports FanZone clips below:

Searching for "Different" in the Golf Space?

Are you looking to differentiate yourself in the golf space? Are you looking for new, innovative products that are gaining traction within the sport? Are you looking to give your golf game a new look?

COMPANY WATCH: SWEET SPOT GOLF

If you are searching for "different" in the golf industry, look no further than Sweet Spot Golf, a new golf club manufacturer that is committed to building performance-based golf clubs with a unique sense of design and color. Brian Allman, President of Sweet Spot Golf, has done a tremendous job getting the company running off the ground with a truly unique product in the golf space.

Companies looking to target an alternative demographic in the golf space (e.g. teens/young adults, baby boomers that want to "feel young", females) may find unique value in aligning with a company like Sweet Spot Golf, who has an influential product. With an edgy, yet reliable product, Sweet Spot Golf has a product (and corporate culture) that is unique to the golf industry. There aren't too many companies in this area asking consumers to, "Go Ahead. Be Different."

The company's hottest product right now is the "Think Pink" Putter, a unique, well-crafted and evenly weighted putter that offers female golfers both style and performance. Sweet Spot Golf's Pink Line supports the National Breast Cancer Foundation in their pursuit to find a cure for Breast Cancer and recently signed on Keri Murphy of the Golf Channel as an endorser.   

If you have a moment, check out their unique, edgy products!

Never Underestimate Humor as a Sponsorship Tool...

Are you looking to create a unique viral clip to drive awareness of your company's affiliation with a team? Are you looking for creative ways to tie humor into sports?

Heineken created a classic clip for the 2006 World Cup in support of the Netherlands soccer team in their game against Austria. The alcoholic beverage provider found a unique way to mix humor into their partnership. Check out the clip below:

Are You Maximizing the Value of Your Giveaways?

Are you receiving maximum value from the stadium giveaways that your company endorses?

Giveaways have become commonplace in today's sports society. With teams distributing giveaways on a regular basis (the Florida Marlins offered 140 giveaways/promotions in 2008), fans have come to expect these items when they head to the ballpark for a game... Unfortunately, giveaways are still considered commonplace in the eyes of many sponsors as well.

Who has done an effective job leveraging their premium giveaway nights?

AIG's execution of their "Endy Chavez Bobblehead Night" on July 13th, 2007 was exceptional:

• AIG distributed 25,000 branded Endy Chavez bobblehead boxes to Mets fans
• AIG  promoted the giveaway to fans entering the stadium gates using billboards adjacent to the stadium ticket box office
• AIG reiterated their sponsorship of the giveaway in-game using the main video board and alternative outfield signage 

AIG after all had good reason to exhaust so much energy into the Endy Chavez Bobblehead Night. Chavez made an exceptional catch while crashing into the AIG outfield wall signage during Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, a moment that provided AIG significant publicity in print publications across the globe. Three (3) weeks after the sensational catch, AIG's earnings and shares surged to their highest value in 21 months!

Do You Want Team Employees to Live and Breathe Your Brand?

Are you looking for ways to have team employees live and breathe your brand? Are you looking to instill your corporate culture in the stadium environment?

Sports Business Journal featured a very interesting article this week profiling Red Bull's efforts to drill its brand messaging into the minds of the New York Red Bulls team staff. Team management hired Global Interface Consulting Group to create a course teaches the principles of the Red Bull brand to all stadium employees held under contract. Everyone from team staff to custodians to security guards will be required to attend the training session, which details company information, game day expectations, and the roles of personnel on-site. The team estimates that 1,500 people will take the course.

The "brand education" sessions are being implemented as the New York Red Bulls prepare to launch their new stadium in Harrison, New Jersey in 2009/2010. Check back for more details on the team's preparations and other innovative brand building strategies!

The Minnesota Lynx Know How to Party...

Are you looking to create an in-venue experience? Are you looking to provide fans alternative reasons to come to your games?

In 2008, the Minnesota Lynx unveiled the "Minnesota Lynx Party Zone", a fan-friendly courtside area that offers fans the chance to experience a game courtside with a range of amenities and entertainment.

The Lynx Party Zone was developed as a way for the WNBA franchise to celebrate its 10th year of existence and offer its loyal fanbase an unmatched V.I.P. courtside experience.

The Lynx Party Zone offers a variety of seating, entertainment, and hospitality options:

• Lynx Lounge - Tickets/Hospitality plans range from $1,500 (25 persons) to $3,000 (50 persons)
• Courtside Mini-Suites - Three (3) available suites that seat 6-8 persons; guests receive in-seat service ($500/game)
• Large Courtside Suite - One (1) large suite available that seats 12-16 adults; guests receive in-seat service ($1K/game)
• Kids Zone - Interactive play area (open one hour prior to tipoff), interactive games, face painting, poster making, and balloons
• DJ/Band Stand

Concessions in the Minnesota Lynx Party Zone is comparable to concourse prices ($3.50-$6.50 for food; $4.00-$4.50 for non-alcoholic beverages; $6.25-$6.50 for alcoholic beverages).