The San Francisco Giants Deliver a "Best in Class" Fan Experience at AT&T Park

Thanks to our friends at the San Francisco Giants, Partnership Activation recently had the chance to attend a game at AT&T Park, one of baseball's most beloved ballparks.

The Giants organization has created a "best in class" ballpark experience for fans at AT&T Park, delivering non-stop entertainment for fans of all ages, social media/technology enhancements, seamless corporate partner integration, and an array of destinations and unique concessions areas for fans to enjoy. Check out a complete gallery of the AT&T Park fan experience here (99 photos).

Enclosed below is a recap of some of the highlights of the fan experience and incorporation of corporate partners at AT&T Park.

Unique Elements at AT&T Park Include:

• Interactive Coca-Cola Kids Area in Left Field (Slides, Mini-Ballpark, Giant Glove, Giant Coca-Cola Bottle, Photo Station, etc.)
• Variety of Themed Food Kiosks Located Throughout the Concourse
• Levi's Landing Splash Zone
• Virgin America OF Wall Buildout
• Coors Light Silver Bullpen - An OF Destination Where Any Fan Can Watch the Game
• Unique Ghirardelli Chocolate Kiosk and Cable Car
• Elaborate AT&T Fan Zone Display
• Build-a-Bear Workshop in Left Center Field
• Clos Du Bois California Wine Bar Concourse Kiosks
• Elaborate Use of Text Messaging Campaigns via LED, Concourse Signage
• Cable Car Bars Located Throughout AT&T Park
• LED Messaging Welcoming Fans of Hispanic Descent to the Ballpark (Bienvenidos)
• Dynamic Pricing Deals
• Advertising of Upcoming Promotional Giveaways/Team Shop Offers on Television Displays Located Throughout the Concourse
• Scoreboard Twitter Integration (Team Trivia Via Twitter)
• Chevron Car (Rides Along Warning Track During Select Inning)

Non-Traditional Corporate Partners Include:

• Adobe, Salesforce.com, Ghirardelli Chocolate, Sony Playstation, Emerald Snacks, Yahoo!, Charles Schwab, RE/MAX, Genentech, See's Candies, Pop-Secret, Clos Du Bois, Box, FusionStorm, Virgin America, Kettle Chips, Guinness, Camarena

Traditional Partners Include:

• MillerCoors (Coors Light), Visa, Safeway, Chipotle, Anheuser-Busch, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Comcast SportsNet, AT&T, StubHub, United, Corona, Lexus, Chevron, Audi, Toyota, PG&E (Utilities), CHW (Hospital),

Video Board Features Include:

I. "Guess the Actor" Jumbotron Feature Presented by Sports Authority

II. "Share the Love Kiss Cam" Presented by the Monterey Bay Aquarium

III. Fist Pump Cam Jumbotron Feature

IV. McCovey Cove Boat Race Jumbotron Feature

From a social media standpoint, Bryan Srabian of the San Francisco Giants recently sat down with the Row Show and shared some unique insights. Check out his special feature here.

The Knicks Celebrate Amar'e With a Special Jumbotron Melody

As New York Knicks supporters continue to rejoice about the arrivals of Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, the team has continue to find new ways to deliver value for their fanbase.

The team apparently teamed up with Cousin Tommy to create a special version of "Amare" that is featured on the jumbotron at Madison Square Garden during games. Check it out below! (hopefully the vignette is real)...

The Bucks Celebrate Valentine's Day with A Little Humor

The Milwaukee Bucks recently celebrated Valentine's Day by creating a humorous jumbotron vignette that featured the team mascot, Bango, embarking on a full day of activities with his Valentine. The piece, set to the tune of Meatloaf's popular song "I'd Do Anything for Love", featured a pretty ironic twist that instantly won over all fans in attendance at the game vs. the Clippers.

The Milwaukee Bucks organization created the spot as part of a week-long effort to promote Bango as the most awesome mascot of the year in conjunction with the Cartoon Network's Hall of Game Awards. The Bucks are supporting the initiative by posting a skit, commercial, or dunk video every day of the week on the team's YouTube channel and leveraging Facebook and Twitter to drive awareness and fan voting.

Check out Bango's humorous Valentine's Day vignette below:

A special thanks to Michael Grahl of the Milwaukee Bucks organization for his insights and contributions to this column.

Leverage Spin & Win Animations to Engage Sections of Fans

Sports organizations looking to create new scoreboard entertainment features should take a close look at the "Spin & Win" slot machine animation created by the Austin Toros of the NBA D-League.

Teams can create similar, engaging animations to serve several purposes:

• Create a "chance to win" / "scoreboard surprise" moment in-game that (from a perception standpoint) fairly selects and rewards one (1) lucky section in arena 
• Effectively leverage a casino partner (in countries/markets where gambling activity can be actively promoted in-arena) with an engaging scoreboard promotion that serves as a great engagement and affiliation awareness play
• Promote a team/corporate partner donation to a select charity on behalf of a designated section
• Actively promote a section in the stadium/arena receiving a special discount on concessions during the game (or a select period of time during the game)

Check it out below:

Miami Heat Fans are Feeling the Team's New Player Intro

The Miami Heat recently unveiled a new player introduction video for the 2010-11 season that has become an instant hit with fans. The vignette, to the tune of Phil Collins' hit song "In the Air Tonight", showcases the team's players in a new, stylish light off the court. The video is non-traditional, yet directly coincides with the Miami lifestyle and culture.

Check it out below:

When In Doubt, Turn to Journey for Game Entertainment

Over the years, Journey has proven to be a "go-to" music choice for sports organizations looking to enhance their game entertainment and drive fan excitement. There is just something about Journey's music that gets fans going.

Just see for yourself. During the 8th inning of Los Angeles Dodgers games, the team calls on Jameson Moss, a talented season ticket holder to perform a unique dance rendition of the famous Journey song title, "Don't Stop Believing" on the scoreboard at Dodger Stadium. Take a quick moment to check it out and enjoy!

Do Your Vignettes Feature Product Placement?

Are you looking for new ways to drive incremental value for corporate partners? Are you looking for ways to showcase a new product or brand?

Arizona State Athletics has done a tremendous job over the past years with the pre-game intro vignettes they feature on the videoboard at Sun Devil Stadium. The clip features the team's mascot stomping his way into the stadium, crushing a University of Arizona bus along the way.

However, take a moment to notice the creative Nike product placement throughout the vignette (Uniform :05-:08 / Shoes :44-46, :53-:55, :58-1:01, 1:10-1:11, 1:18-1:19, 1:21-1:22). The ASU Football vignette, providing a total of :18-:20 exposure, serves as a great way to drive some additional value/affiliation awareness for Nike in-game!

Check it out below:

The Predators Celebrate Halloween with JibJab

Are you looking to create new, captivating video board vignettes? Are you looking for ways to create holiday-specific fan entertainment?

The Nashville Predators recently celebrated their Halloween matchup against the Dallas Stars by featuring a creative JibJab vignette on the jumbotron during the game. The clip centered around a Monster Mash thematic with the faces of Predator players incorporated into the mix. The clip proved to be a huge hit with fans and was later featured on the team's Facebook page for all to enjoy.

Check it out below:

Have You Considered the Human Jumbotron?

Are you looking for unique ways to engage fans in-venue? Are you searching for ways to add entertainment value to the fan experience?

While the stadium arms race has dominated the North American marketplace, some Asian sports organizations (particularly in South Korea) have continued to place an emphasis on creating a human jumbotron effect. In fact, they have gotten pretty good at it over the years.

The human videoboard involves a large group of individuals who carry out choreographed chants and color movements (using layers of shirts), driving spirit and excitement amongst onlookers. It really is something that you just have to see for yourself: