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.

Let Brands Use Athletes To Capitalize on Birthday Shout Outs

Brands looking for unique ways to celebrate birthdays in-venue should align with team partners to create a scoreboard vignette series that features current team players sending humorous birthday wishes to fans and other recognizable celebrities.

Teams could align with select brands whose businesses revolve around birthday celebrations (QSR's. card stores, confectioneries, ice cream and cakes, jewelry stores, party stores, kids establishments, etc.) to have a duo of players film a :30 scoreboard vignette that features a mix of recorded messages.

The vignettes can be filmed during a morning practice session and edited in time to be featured on the scoreboard that same night. Teams could charge fans for the live birthday shout out or make it available gratis with a corporate partner on board. All fans who receive a special shoutout on the scoreboard can pick up a special birthday premium at will call as a celebratory gift. Teams could ask that fans submit their birthday dates/information online, via social media channels, or via text in-arena.

As an example, check out how Dwyane Wade and LeBron James of the Miami Heat send a special brithday wish to The Rock, Dwayne Johnson:

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 Mavericks Showcase A Day in the Life of Their Players

The Dallas Mavericks recently unveiled a tremendous "Day in the Life" series on their official YouTube channel that provides fans with a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the lives of players on gameday. The first feature profiles the life of Mavericks center Tyson Chandler as he preps for gameday. Chandler is very welcoming individual who does a great job on camera showcasing all aspects of his life and personality.

If granted the access, Day in the Life features can serve as the exact type of behind-the-scenes content that fans are looking for. From a team business standpoint, these features also foster seamless opportunities to promote game nights, corporate partners, and the character and personalities of players on and off the court.

Check out the tremendous five-part series below:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

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.

Mavericks Fans Show Off Their Dance Moves to Win a Suite

The Dallas Mavericks recently partnered with Xbox Kinect to create a Dance Central "Suite Moves" contest that allows fans to show off their best dance moves for the chances to win a catered suite for twelve (12) and a Kinect prize pack.

For a chance to win, Mavericks fans had to physically participate at the Xbox Kinect display area in the AAC concourse during two (2) Mavericks games in January. The best eight (8) performers were then selected to compete head-to-head in a pre-game Dance Central contest during the team's home game against the Atlanta Hawks on January 29th for a chance to make it to the final round and win the ultimate suite package.

Check out a video that the Mavericks created to promote the initiative to its fanbase.

Old Hat Creative Delivers a Terrific Recap of The Big Chill at the Big House

Sports properties looking to give their marketing materials, recaps, and videoboard vignettes some flair should take a close look at some of the work that Old Hat Creative is doing on behalf of their partners.

Old Hat did a tremendous job creating a collection of marketing materials for The Big Chill at the Big House, an outdoor hockey game between the University of Michigan and Michigan State that was played in front of an announced crowd of 104,000+ at Michigan Stadium in December.

To drive buzz around the event, Old Hat developed:

• The Big Chill at the Big House Microsite
• An Intro Video - Click Here to View               
• A Historical Tribute - Click Here to View
• A "Pump Up" Video - Click Here to View
• A Prelude - Click Here to View
• A Michigan 3D Video - Click Here to View

But Old Hat's finest work was their recap of The Big Chill at the Big House, which is one of the most original recaps that we have seen in some time! Check it out below:

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:

LSU Athletics Shows Fans How to Fit in at Tiger Stadium

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.

Check it this classic piece 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!

Yankees Fans Enjoy the Best Buy Match Game

Are you looking for new ways to entertain fans between innings?

Best Buy features a very entertaining video board segment in between innings at the new Yankee Stadium that challenges the memory skills of fans. Best Buy features a "Match Game" vignette that tasks one (1) select Yankee fan with memorizing which Yankee player was featured twice behind a series of tiles that resembles the Brady Bunch.

The feature would serve as a terrific way for teams to promote:

• Dating Services (feature different singles behind the blocks)
• New Team Apparel/Equipment/Hats
• Automobile Companies (looking to showcase a new model)
• Sponsors Looking to Drive Team Affiliation (as shown above with Best Buy)

Consider new ways that you can bring your events to life for fans outside the lines!

It's Time for the Dancin' Dawgs...

Are you looking for new ways to entertain your fan base? Are you looking for new ways to drive awareness for your organization's players?

The folks at the University of Washington are constantly pushing the envelope with new, creative marketing and sales tactics. The UW marketing team recently created an entertaining "Dancin' Dawgs" piece that is played on the video board when the men's basketball team develops a sizeable lead in the final minutes of play.

The clip is terrific in that it allows the athletes to demonstrate some of their personalities and it is a simple, yet very entertaining fan pleaser. Why not remind fans late in the game about how great their experience was?

Check it out below:

Source: Husky Men's Basketball Blog

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: