Essendon Turns to Augmented Reality to Engage Fans

Essendon FC of the Australian Football League (AFL) recently teamed up with an agency named tkmp to create an innovative augmented reality campaign that engaged fans in a new way on gameday.

Essendon FC used digital technology to project a group of virtual footballs onto the facade of the team's stadium, the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Fans attending the match were encouraged to stand in front of a digital screen outside the venue and interact with the virtual footballs. The unique experience allowed fans a chance to see themselves projected onto the side of the stadium.

Check out the innovative campaign below:

Essendon FC and tkmp also teamed up to project some cool visuals at MCG - check it out below!

Essendon Football Club Projections from tkm9 on Vimeo.

A special thanks to Sam Attrilof nexusmg for his insights and contributions to this column!

May 2011 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter

Thank you for your continued interest in Partnership Activation and taking the time to come check out the new May 2011 Issue of the Partnership Activation 2.0 newsletter.

After reviewing the newsletter, we would really appreciate it if you would be willing to share it with friends via email, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, personal blogs, and other channels of communication. To keep things simple, here is a shortened URL that you can use: http://is.gd/UssJ3S

This month's newsletter features a collection of insights, including:

• Fan-Centric Signage
• The Top Sports Advertisers of 2010
• Creative Sports Business Tactics from Major League Soccer
• Navigate Marketing Spotlight: Five Questions with Matt Balvanz
• Three Things You Need to See
• The Carrier Classic
• The Heineken Star Player
• Miami Heat - Kumho Tires Partnership
• #SBChat
• Creativity in the Sports Marketplace
• May 2011 Partnership Activation Rising Stars
• Manchester City FC's 'His and Hers' Suites
• Standley Systems OSU/OU Licensed Copiers
• Vineyard Vines' Activation at the Kentucky Derby
• A Close Look at the Carolina Panthers 2011 NFL Draft Party
• 5 People You Must Follow In #SportsBiz
• Creative Tactics to Leverage a Tecate Partnership
• AC Milan Uses Jersey Launch to Showcase New Technology
• The Minnesota Twins Feature Twins O-Grams
• Sports ... Like You've Never Seen It Before
• Idea Box

Click here to check out the May 2011 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter, connect with other readers in the official Partnership Activation LinkedIn Group, and follow Brian Gainor on Twitter for additional sponsorship/marketing tactics throughout the month!

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. 

Lynx Uses Augmented Reality to Make a Splash at Victoria Station

Unilever recently teamed up with Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) to create a captivating augmented reality campaign at London's Victoria Station in an effort to drive buzz and awareness for the Lynx brand (an extension of Axe in the UK).

Unilever created an initiative where consumers could stand on a special floormat within Victoria Station and see themselves interacting with virtual Lynx Angels (models) on a giant video board near by. The augmented reality campaign attracted the attention of thousands of consumers passing through the busy locale and served as a great way for the brand to create a viral piece that has generated plenty of buzz in the digital realm.

Unilever's campaign is very interesting because it is a tactic that could be replicated by professional sports organizations looking to make a splash in a high-traffic location prior to the season, during key events (All-Star weekend, etc.), or during the offseason. Teams could work with a local agency to create digital footage of players and embed it in an augmented reality campaign that truly engages fans at a moment when they least expect it.

Check out the Lynx Angels campaign below:

Incorporating Augmented Reality in the Sports Marketing Space

Over the past few years, there has been a lot of excitement generated around the emergence of augmented reality and the opportunities marketers have to leverage it as an engagement tool. Augmented reality has become noticeably more mainstream, with a number of major brands experimenting with the technology to better understand how it can be used to drive engagement, education, and sales.

As sports marketers, it's important to at least have a simple grasp of the technology, how it's being incorporated, and what opportunities exist in the sports space.

Sports properties, brands, and individual athletes can look to engage fans via augmented reality in several different settings, including stadiums (scoreboard, concourse kiosks/displays, suites, mobile street teams), mobile locations (laptops, iPads, mobile phones), and at home (computers, television screens/video game portals with Internet access, etc.).

The following examples detail how brands, sports properties, and individual athletes can bring a static messaging gameday piece (piece of paper, product label, flyer, billboard, product packaging, ticket, fan loyalty card, parking pass) to life for fans in new ways via augmented reality. As the industry begins to tap into augmented reality, these examples will become more constructive, impactful, and engaging...

Footwear / Apparel (adidas, Nike)

Consumer Packaged Goods (Gillette)

Food Products (Pringles)

Technology / 2.0 (Yahoo)

Automotive Brands

Alcoholic Beverage Brands (Tsingato, Leveraging Beer with NBA Label)

Energy Drinks (Red Bull, Leveraging Lindsay Vonn Red Bull 6-Pack Packaging)

Soft Drink Brands (Pepsi)

Computers (Lenovo)

Shipping / Freight (USPS)

GMR Marketing Showcases New Technologies at Tech Petting Zoo

GMR Marketing recently hosted an Event Tech Petting Zoo that gave employees, clients, and reporters an inside look at the marketing technology of the future. The event, held at the company's headquarters in New Berlin, WI debuted 35 cutting edge, interactive products and exhibits, including digital graffiti walls, the world's first flexible LED wall, gesture-based projection screens, 3D televisions, fog screens and more.

The event helped GMR showcase new technologies to their clients that will truly take their marketing and activation plans to a whole new level.

Check out the video enclosed below that details some of the amazing new technologies that were showcased at the GMR Event Tech Petting Zoo:

For more information about GMR Marketing and/or some of the technologies featured at theGMR Event Tech Petting Zoo, please feel free to contact Brian Gainor at bgainor@gmrmarketing.com

September 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter

Thank you for coming to check out PartnershipActivation.com. I am excited to share with you the new September 2010 Partnership Activation 2.0 Newsletter.

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:

• 140 Reasons Sports Teams Should Use Twitter
• 40 Ways Sports Teams Can Utilize Foursquare
• The 100 Hottest Promotional Items in Sports
• World Cup Viewing Parties From Across the Globe
• The 10 Best Sports Billboard Themes of 2009

3 Sports Technologies to Keep an Eye On

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