UniCredit and UEFA have teamed up to create an incredible UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour that will span (5) European cities from September 15th through October 17th. The tour features the UEFA Trophy traveling in a glass case on a bed of a semi for all onlookers to see.
The UniCredit UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour allows fans to have their picture taken with European soccer's most prized possession, experience a meet-n-greet with famous players, and enjoy plenty of soccer activities. In 2009, the trophy tour attracted 90,000+ fans.
The 2010 UniCredit UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour will travel to Munich, Prague, Warsaw, Bratislava, and Vienna. The tour vehicle will also make stopovers in various cities en route to each of the destinations, allowing soccer enthusiasts throughout Europe to see the trophy. UEFA will use the tour to promote its services, key values, and fair play.
One of the most impressive aspects of the tour (outside of the semi display), is the tour's interactive webpage, which is definitely worth a look.
Here is a quick video of the UEFA Trophy arriving at one of its destinations in grand fashion:
In college athletics, there's no question that student sections define the overall fan experience. From traditional chants to trash talking the opposition, student sections can change the momentum of a game in a split second.
University athletic departments looking to establish an avid student fanbase should take a close look at the student experience at University of Wisconsin home football games, held at Camp Randall. While the experience is traditionally known for the "Jump Around" segment between the 3rd and 4th quarters, there is much, much more to the student experience. From traditional chants to starting different versions of the wave, the students are in control in Madison.
One of the most unique, engaging tactics the Athletic Department offers during games is a Student Section Race that is held just prior to the "Jump Around" segment between the 3rd and 4th quarter. The Student Section Race features seven letters, representing each of the different student sections, competing in a head-to-head 100-yard dash on the jumbotron. The spot electrifies all of the students in attendance and serves as the perfect precursor for "Jump Around".
The following two videos don't do the spot justice but provide a nice look at the scoreboard feature. Enjoy!
Nationwide Insurance, the Exclusive Insurance Provider of the Cincinnati Bengals, is leveraging its team partnership with an innovative promotion designed to engage the Bengals fanbase. The initiative, entitled the "World's Greatest Growl in the World", allows fans to perform a :30 karaoke version of the Bengals touchdown song for the chance to be featured on the Bengals website and an ultimate Grand Prize of $25,000.
Each week, fans who submit videos can win co-branded items, tickets, and autographed merchandise for participating and the ten (10) best entries will be featured on Bengals.com/Nationwide. Fans can then log in and vote daily for their favorite performance among the entries submitted (thus, both performers and voters become active leads for Nationwide). Fans who submit their favorite clips even have the ability to share them with family and friends via email.
Nationwide's "The World's Greatest Growl in the World" promotion has been extremely well received by Bengals fans thus far. Fans loved performing :30 karaoke versions at the Bengals home opener and traffic to the website has been very active in the early weeks of the promotion. Nationwide will also be leveraging its partnership with the Bengals by offering free ferry rides to Bengals games for all fans on a co-branded ferry (another great idea!).
The Bengals feature a collection of fan videos on Bengals.com/Nationwide. There are some classic performances that are worth checking out!
As featured on Wouter de Jonckheere's blog, Belgian soccer club Cercle Bruges is currently running a tremendous promotion that enables children from 216 participating schools to create and submit a jersey design for the team.
Cercle Bruges is offering to wear the winning jersey for the 2011 and 2012 seasons, which will draw plenty of interest and attention to the winning design. The only paramaters given to the student participants was that the submitted jersey designs must be green and black (representing the team's colors) and feature the names and team logo in a very visible fashion.
Cercle Bruges executed a similar promotional initiative in 2007 that proved to be very popular amongst the team's young fanbase and the local community. On November 15th, the team is expected to have a panel of judges, representing fashion and design, the team's outfitter, and some members of the organization choose the winning entry.
Brands looking for new ways to make an impactful impression on consumers without spending a significant amount of money on team/league partnerships should closely monitor Red Bull's activation and spending in the sports space.
The energy drink provider is leveraging core partnerships to create a collection of unbelievable, "ownable" sports, consumer facing initiatives, and activation tactics.
Red Bull recently unveiled three amazing initiatives in basketball, snowboarding, and racing. Check them out below:
Red Bull King of the Rock Finals - 1v1 Basketball Competition on Alcatrez (featuring Rondo)
Red Bull held a "King of the Rock" 1-on-1 basketball tournament in The Yard on Alcatrez on September 18th. Red Bull brought in 64 contestants to compete in the first official sporting event ever held on Alcatrez, marking the first time basketball had been played there since inmates left the island 50+ years ago. The contestants competed in an all-out competition for the right to be crowned "King of the Rock" and collect a $10,000 prize. The Red Bull King of the Rock Finals was covered on Fox Sports West, Fox Sports Arizona, and Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.
Red Bull - "Off the Planet" Snowboarding Initiative
Red Bull teamed up with ENESS, a group of Melbourne-based installation artists, to bring a new perspective to snowboarding and action sports. Red Bull called on a team of snowboarders and skiers, including Russell Henshaw and Simon Dumont, to perform stunts and tricks in the air. While the action sports enthusiasts did their thing, ENESS filmed the spectacle with an infrared camera and mapped in 3D visuals and a 21' inflatable sphere to make it appear to viewers that the snowboarders were flying sky high over the world. It's hard to explain - you just have to see it for yourself... Red Bull is leveraging interactve projection art and technology to give action sports a whole new look.
Red Bull Presents the 2010 Kimi Raikkonen Challenge
Red Bull recently allowed fans a chance to test the skills of Kimi Raikkonen, a former Formula 1 driver who is described as "the fastest driver on the planet", in a time trial racing competition through the Lera Chitose Outlet, an indoor Japanese shopping center. The event, backed by several sponsors, encouraged consumers 20+ to come out and test their go kart manuevering skills to see if they could top Raikkonen's time while traveling at speeds up to 130 kilometer per hour. Red Bull allowed 100 consumers to participate, with the top (10) performers earning a chance to compete in the finals against the former champion.
The stunt attracted thousands of onlookers and could serve as a benchmark for NASCAR and Indy Car teams looking for new ways to engage fans at retail. Check out Raikkonen's run at the indoor shopping center below:
I hope you enjoy all of the great content included in this month's issue and want to thank you for your support and willingness to help spread the word about Partnership Activation amongst your friends and colleagues in the industry.
This month's newsletter features a collection of insights, including:
Red Bull's NASCAR Taxi
Creative Sponsorship/Marketing Tactics from the Barclays Premier League
Old Spice's Interactive Banner Ads
Los Angeles Dodgers "My Town" Billboard Activation Tactics
The Oklahoma City Thunder's Corporate Partnerships Website
The Essential Guide to Grassroots Sports and Social Media
September 2010 Rising Stars
Official Redskins Nation Foursquare Badge
Activ8Social's Reggie Bush's #RedZones Promotion
Insights about the 2010 FIBA World Championship
A Close Look at The New Meadowlands Stadium
Southwest Airlines' Thought Starters
Fresh New, Creative Ideas from the Idea Box
Click here to check out the September 2010 Newsletter now and be sure to also join the Official Partnership Activation - Users Connect! LinkedIn Group today!
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.
If you enjoyed the September 2010 Issue, you may also be interested in:
Brands looking for new ways to capture the attention of thousands of fans in-venue and a multitude of others watching at home should take a close look at the following video, which showcases how SL Benfica, a Portugal banking institution, leveraged fans streaking to drive awareness for their brand.
While streaking (referred to as a pitch invasion in the spot) is commonly frowned upon in the United States and abroad, SL Benfica worked with the appropriate stakeholders (Portugese Football Federation, participating teams, actors, police, etc.) to create a special on-field moment that resonated with fans. While the correlated figures seem a little extraordinary, it was a terrific concept that was well executed during the match.
The San Diego Padres are teaming up with Lucas Films this Friday, September 24th to host a truly memorable night at the ballpark for San Diego Padres fans that are Star Wars enthusiasts and many more. The team is hosting Star Wars: The Clone Wars night at the game and will be offering plenty of entertainment for fans to enjoy, including:
A sleepover for 1,000 fans following the game
A special screening of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
A special appearance by Ashley Eckstein, who plays Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Appearances by Darth Vader, Chewbacca, and stormtroopers
A unique Padres and Star Wars themed gift
A night under the stars at Petco Park
Photo opportunities
Star Wars trivia
Special giveaways
Breakfast on Saturday morning
Thousands of fans in costumes (note: masks and lightsabers will not be permitted)
The Upper Reserved section at Petco Park will be transformed into an intergalactic experience
The event will bring Padres and Star Wars junkies together under the lights at Petco Park for a night of great entertainment. Fans interested in attending can purchase tickets online for the special night, which includes a sleepover here: http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/sd/ticketing/sleepover.jsp
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Comcast has teamed up with NFL Network to offer fans nationwide a chance to win a truly unforgettable backstage experience. Comcast recently unveiled the "Ultimate NFL Network Backstage Pass" sweepstakes, which allows consumers an opportunity to win an incredible grand prize that includes:
Roundtrip airfare to Los Angeles and hotel accomodations for two (2) persons
A tour of the NFL Network Studios
A meet and greet with NFL Network talent
A front row seat in the studio during NFL RedZone and NFL GameDay shoots
Ground transportation and dinner at a local Hollywood restaurant
Fans can enter to win the sweepstakes at MostLiveSports.com/NFLBackstagePass. As part of the sweepstakes, Comcast will also be giving away autographed football jerseys, baseballs, basketballs, collectors helmets and more!
As an Official Partner of the Seattle Seahawks, Qdoba Mexican Grill is offering fans in Seattle the chance to win a VIP 12th Fan Tailgate Party.
The ultimate game experience includes (4) Seahawks tickets and parking spots, exclusive access to the Qdoba VIP Tailgate Lounge (which included a private server) for (20) people, and a VIP area that features (3) flat screen televisions, an XBOX 360, comfortable seating, and more!
Fans looking to win the VIP 12th Fan Tailgate Party experience simply have to head to their local participating Qdoba location, swipe their Qdoba Card when purchasing an entree, and automatically be entered to win. Fans can also submit an entry online at QdobaTailgate.com for the chance to win the final Qdoba VIP tailgating party on January 2nd.
Check out a great video that captures the VIP 12th Fan Tailgate Party below - a truly unique experience that can be replicated at many stadiums across the country!
Each and every football weekend, sports marketers need to consider ways that they can recreate the stadium experience for thousands of viewers at home. With social media, marketers have a very cost-effective platform to bring stadium entertainment to life for fans to watch during the week, before games, and after huge victories.
Quality content that can be captured and rebroadcasted via social media can include:
Pre-Game
Pre-game introductions, scoreboard introduction videos, pre-game traditions, time lapse videos of fans entering the stadium, pictures/video of game day giveaways, the National Anthem, pre-game skydivers, tailgating insights, pep rallies, pre-game concerts, pre-game band performances, warmups/walk-throughs, etc.
In-Game
Scoreboard features, on-field promotions, fan cheers, cheerleaders/dance team, halftime entertainment, in-game ceremonies, etc.
Post-Game
Band performances, team celebrations, post-game interviews, fan celebrations, scoreboard highlights, fireworks, post-game concerts, etc.
As an example of capturing quality game day footage, enclosed is a great video that lets fans experience the thrills of a skydiver gliding into a stadium packed with 80,000+ screaming fans before a rivalry game. Capture these special moments for your fan base!
There has been a lot of chatter recently about what sports organizations are utilizing geolocation services like Foursquare and Gowalla. Here is a quick list of teams that have set up Official Foursquare Pages.
While some are more active than others (SF Giants, Washington Redskins, Manchester City FC, University of Michigan and Texas Tech Athletics), it's refreshing to see that all of these organizations are moving in the right direction when it comes to social media.
Sports organizations looking to create new, engaging videos to feature on their websites during the off-season should consider benchmarking a recent "How to Fit in at Tiger Stadium" piece developed by LSU Athletics. The video is unique, humorous, and educational as it sends a clear message to fans.
Nike does a terrific job demonstrating the life cycle of its brand in a recent piece created for the Czech football club AC Sparta Praha. In the spot, Nike demonstrates how an athlete matures with the brand throughout the various stages in his/her life. From birth to adolescence to playing professionally, there is one constant in sports - wearing the same brand of apparel because you believe in it.
The low-budget spot is extremely well done and serves as a great benchmark for any brand looking to showcase how consumers use their brand throughout the various stages of their lives.
Brands looking for new ways to capture the action/extreme sports crowd should take a close look at a recent viral from Nike entitled, "Marco's Mansion". To capture the attention of snowboard enthusiasts who wish they could live on top of the mountain, Nike 6.0 created a man-made igloo (called Marco's Mansion) that a team of notable snowboarders could throw down on all day and sleep in at night.
The concept of the piece is extremely creative and is a great way to drive some incremental interest in the sport and several notable personalities (Marco Smolla and his gang).
Brands looking to create unique guerrilla marketing campaigns that leverage social media technology should benchmark a recent tactic implemented by the Oral Cancer Foundation. In August, the Oral Cancer Foundation called on several teams of young women to hit the beaches of Surf City to message to thousands of teens and 20-somethings attending the 2010 US Open of Surfing.
With 500,000 visitors attending the three-day surfing event sponsored by Hurley, Oral Cancer Foundation personnel knew that they needed to create a compelling, unique program to effectively get their message across about the risks of oral cancer, HPV, and other diseases. To do so, the Oral Cancer Foundation created a social media strategy that leveraged QR codes.
Throughout the US Open of Surfing competition, teams of female Oral Cancer Foundation brand ambassadors scoured the beaches and handed out creatively worded stickers, t-shirts, and temporary tattoos that all beared a unique QR code. When recipients scanned the QR codes with the mobile phones, they were taken to a microsite that provided educational information about the risks of certain preventative diseases.
The Oral Cancer Foundation found that the QR codes enabled their guerrilla marketing teams the ability to communicate life saving messages to consumers in a very powerful way. The initiative proved to be an influential, cost-effective means to target a crowd of young, tech savvy consumers.
Check out some pictures of their guerrilla marketing outreach below:
Are you looking for the latest technologies in the sports space? Are you looking for new ways to utilize technology to enhance the game day experience for fans?
Here are three (3) technologies that are changing the game in sports:
New York Jets - Touchscreen Device
The New York Jets are testing a touchscreen command center, built by design agency Roundarch, that enables team personnel to track various game day operations. With the touch of a button, teams can gauge which concessions and merchandise items are selling fast, whether there are traffic issues outside the stadium, and ticket sales information. Source: Roundarch
New England Patriots - Yinzcam
The New England Patriots are offering all fans attending games at Gillette Stadium a unique opportunity to gain more access than ever before. The Patriots are offering a Yinzcam smartphone application that allows fans to see instantaneous replays during games, live stats and scores, and NFL RedZone. Fans can access the mobile app inside Gillette Stadium by connecting to a Patriots WiFi network. Source: USA Today
Orlando Magic - Internet Protocol Television (IPTV)
The Amway Center, the new home of the Orlando Magic, will soon be considered one of the most technologically advanced arenas on the planet. The Magic and arena officials have partnered with the Harris Corp. to install an Internet Protocol Television network that features 1,100 flat-panel video screens throughout the building programmed to enhance the fan experience. The two parties will operate a behind-the-scenes control room where technicians can display specific messages, images, mosaics, video, and animation to fans as they scour throughout the arena. Source: Orlando Sentinel
Sports organizations looking to feature new entertainment options for fans on game day should consider investing in 3D photo walls. These fixtures provide great game day photo opportunities for fans and serve as a means to drive awareness for corporate sponsors.
While 3D photo walls are relatively uncommon in the United States marketplace, they are becoming a well recognized activation piece in global markets. In the United Kingdom, Global Games Sports has emerged as an industry leader producing the 3D photo wall fixtures. The company produces fixtures standing 6-7 feet high that are made of resign and fiber glass. These display pieces run approximately 2,000 euros but are very durable and can be customized to the exact specifications required by teams, sponsors, athletes, and fans.
3D photo walls can serve as a great, engaging way for sponsors to drive team affiliation awareness (via backdrops, props, adjoining signage, etc.) and awareness for jersey sponsorships.
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Monday, September 27, 2010 at 10:31PM 
