Borussia Dortmund Celebrates the Champions League with an Impressive Fan Display

In recent years, it's become a common practice for teams to invest time and resources into creating elaborate pre-game ceremonial displays. Teams are working harder now than ever before to pull off card stunts, flyovers, flag displays, and more to elevate the game experience for fans.

Fans of the soccer club Borussia Dortmund recently put on an extremely impressive display prior to a Champions League match against Arsenal. The match, held at Emirates Stadium, featured a large section of fans seated in a wing of the stadium performing a massive card stunt, highlighted by an image of a crown being lifted into the air above the stands and overlooking the playing field.

The pre-game ceremony was truly special. Take a look at how the team pulled it off below:

It would be interesting to see teams adopt this ceremonial tactic to promote corporate partners (showcasing their logos above the stands/playing field), athletes and their individual brands (think of the Miami Heat raising a crown in the air to promote LeBron "King" James), and new team kits/uniforms.

Look for more sports organizations to benchmark these tactics in the future!

Standard Chartered Goes the Extra Mile to Introduce Their Jersey Sponsorship to Liverpool Fans

Brands looking for ways to fully capitalize on jersey naming rights agreements should take a close look at how Standard Chartered Bank leveraged their official partnership with Liverpool FC in 2010.

After signing a 4 years, 80 million pounds agreement to become the official jersey sponsor of Liverpool FC, the brand invested in several key initiatives to demonstrate to fans that they were not just looking to align themselves to drive their marketing efforts.

Standard Chartered Bank conveyed their commitment to the Liverpool club and it's fanbase through several impactful tactics, including:

• Replacing their name on the Liverpool jersey for the first game with the names of Liverpool's longest season ticket holders
• Standard Chartered Bank then arranged to have each of the players (who wore jerseys with the names of different fans) sign the jerseys they wore and personally deliver it to the fans
• Standard Chartered Bank then held a ceremony where they interviewed the fan and player participants  
• Standard Chartered Bank also promoted their partnership affiliation and demonstrated support for Liverpool's loyal fanbase with bus shelter OOH displays, print ads, and more

Check out a video that highlight's Standard Chartered Banks' jersey sponsorship efforts below: 

Liverpool FC sponsorship activation from Clara Tehrani on Vimeo.

Hertha BSC Uses Stadium Choreography to Unite Their Fanbase

The loyal supporters of Hertha BSC, a German soccer club competing in the Bundesliga, recently displayed a tremendous choreographed performance in the stands at Olympic Stadium.

Fans seated in a block of fourteen sections (behind one goal) performed a card stunt and created a terrific illusion by raising a giant cutout of a hand holding the team's flag into the sky. The way the choreographed stunt was performed, it appears that the flag is floating in mid-air while thousands in attendance chant the team's anthem. 

Check out the impressive stadium stunt below:

World Cup Viewing Parties From Across the Globe

The Slideshare deck below provides a compilation of photos from 2010 World Cup Watch Parties from major cities across the globe. Fifa Fan Fests and other Watch Party events have attracted thousands of fans by offering an ultimate soccer festival experience.

The deck provides a nice visual of the powerful affinity that consumers across have for the game of football. Feel free to check it out and lend your thoughts in the comments section below!

Note: Click the "View on Slideshare" buttom in the bottom right corner of the slideshow to see the images featured in the powerpoint deck enlarged.