Vitaminwater Gets Creative with Olympic Activation

Are you looking for new, creative ways to leverage the Olympics? Are you looking to promote Vitaminwater products on-site?

Vitaminwater recently featured two (2) unique activation tactics in Vancouver as a means to leverage consumer passion for the 2010 Olympic Games and drive awareness amongst tourists and residents strolling through the city. As a brand within the Coca-Cola family, Vitaminwater launched a full campaign around the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games that encouraged Canadian citizens, including Olympic athletes competing in the Games, to try its product.  

Check out their two (2) unique engagement tactics below:

Vitaminwater Bus Shelter Renovation

Vitaminwater teamed up with Cleveland-based ad agency Brokaw to transform Vancouver bus shelters into ski lift seating for consumers to enjoy while touring the city. The unique bus shelter branding was accompanied by signage that read, "It Makes the Daily Routine Feel More Like an Olympic Event", and the minor branding tactic really served as a great way to escape the Olympic clutter experienced throughout Vancouver.

Vitaminwater Mini-Curling

Puma Scores With a Valentines Day Effort

Are you looking for new ways to leverage the passion and emotion of sports without owning rights to marks? Are you looking for new ways to leverage key holidays throughout the calendar year?

Puma has created an outstanding Valentines Day viral campaign that will surely impact the lives of thousands of soccer fans (and their spouses) around the world. Puma created an entertaining viral piece that features a group of soccer hooligans, referred to as the Hardchorus, belting out a sappy Savage Garden Tune.

The viral piece, created in conjunction with Puma's Love=Football campaign, was designed with the avid soccer fan in mind who would like to send a gift to a loved one that knows where their heart really is on Valentines Day if/when their favorite soccer club is playing.  

Source: Creativity-Online.com

The Big Game 2 Proved Huge for Samsung Mobile and Vodafone

Are you looking for effective ways to leverage premier sporting events? Are you looking to align with multiple brands to activate on-site?

Samsung Mobile and Vodafone teamed up to feature a tremendous activation campaign at the Big Game 2, a rugby match played between the Harlequins and Wasps at Twickenham Stadium in January. The two (2) brands aligned their activation efforts to support the launch of the Vodafone 360 Samsung H1 Handset, the first Samsung offering to deliver Vodafone's new social networking and entertainment Internet services.

Check out their on-site activation efforts in this terrific 5:30 video recap below!

RBS Treats Guests to an Ultimate Tennis Experience

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Are you looking for ways to enhance your client hospitality initiatives? Are you looking for ways to leverage tennis partnerships and related assets?

In November 2009, RBS treated a collection of clients, customers, and competition winners to an ultimate first-hand tennis experience. The company, a notable tennis sponsor, teamed up with tennis stars Andy and Jamie Murray to host "The Murray Experience", an exclusive clinic that provided select guests with an opportunity to learn insights, practice techniques, and exercises from two (2) of the sport's finest players.

Check out a video that recaps the exclusive RBS hospitality experience below! 

For more images, check out Andy Murray's official blog here.

Have You Brought on a Wine Partner?

Are you looking for new ways to leverage wine partners? Are you looking to fill new sponsorship categories?

Wolf Blass, an Australian wine brand, is leveraging its official sponsorship of the RBS 6 Nations Cup (a globally recognized rugby tournament) with a $2MM marketing campaign designed to highlight similarities between the brand and the sport. The campaign draws attention to three (3) brand attributes - quality, passion, and character - that closely associate with the sport of rugby and resonate well with fans.

Wolf Blass will feature its sponsorship-related messaging through a variety of channels - television, print, outdoor, online, and at retail. The company is complementing its messaging with a promotion that enables consumers the chance to win "Ultimate Sports Prizes" via an in-store neck collar promotion (including VIP ticket packages to the Ryder Cup, premiership football matches, etc.).

Wolf Blass' partnership with the RBS 6 Nations Cup should serve as a benchmark for U.S. sports organizations looking to fill the wine category and fully leverage a partnership. Look for more examples to come in the near future.

Check out some of Wolf Blass' outdoor messaging below:

A special thanks to Matthew Carlton of XtremeInsight.com for his insights and contributions to this column. Source: Marketing Magazine.

Are You Offering Win Insurance?

Are you looking for new ways to incorporate insurance partners? Are you looking to offer new, fan-friendly incentives?

As reported by CNBC.com and the Veritix Newsletter, the River City Rascals of the Frontier League have teamed up with their insurance partner, Midwest Agency, to create a compelling "win insurance" offer for fans.

How does it work?

Prior to the 8th inning of all Rascals home games, fans can purchase "win insurance" for $2. As the game enters the bottom of the 8th, the rate for "win insurance" is raised to $5. If the team goes on to lose the game, all fans in attendance who purchase "win insurance" receive box seats to a future game that is valued at $11... the catch? Fans have to pick up their free tickets at the Midwest Agency (driving automatic awareness and foot traffic).

The "Midwest Agency Winning Insurance" offer has served as a tremendous way for the brand and Rascals organization to attract and entice fans. The promotion has attracted the attention of numerous media outlets and serves as an excellent benchmark for organizations looking for new ways to leverage insurance partners.

A special thanks to Alex Vitanye of the Ohio University Center for Sports Administration for his insights and contributions to this column.   

Leverage Electronics Partners In-Game...

Are you looking for new ways to leverage electronics partners? Are you looking for new ways to entertain fans during periods of play?

The Orlando Magic featured a humorous "Name that TV Tune" video board segment that served as a fan-favorite during games in the '08-09 season. The Magic created a few simple vignettes featuring players and dance team members trying to sing the words to a recognizable tune on their iPod (with iPod imagery in the background).

The vignettes serve as a great way for sports organizations to integrate electronics retailers/manufacturers and music companies in a seamless, memorable in-game setting. Depending on the partner, properties can easily replace the iPod (featured in the videos below) with a state-of-the-art cell phone, computer, television (karaoke-style), or other device.

Teams can even drive excitement in-arena by assigning participating players/dance team members to designated sections in-venue and rewarding the section of fans assigned to the player who sings the most correct lyrics with a free cd/song download (which can be distributed w/ voucher, picked up a Will Call, etc.)

Check out the Orlando Magic's "Name that Tune" vignettes below:

PLAYERS

DANCE TEAM

PLAYER KARAOKE

In 2009, the Magic organization introduced a humorous "Player Karaoke" vignette... Check it out below:

Matt Bonner Leads the Quest for the Hoagie Grail

Are you looking for new ways to leverage athlete endorsers? Are you looking for ways to promote QSR/retail partners?

San Antonio Spurs' forward Matt Bonner has begun a blogging practice that could soon serve as a benchmark for brands looking for new ways to bring their athlete endorsements to life. Bonner features an exclusive blog on the Spurs official homepage called, "The Sandwich Hunter - The Quest for the Hoagie Grail".

Throughout the season, Bonner makes lunchtime visits at local restuarants on game day and features writeups (detailed content, pictures, feedback, etc.) about his experiences.

How can this concept be applied by others in the sports space?

• Brands can align with athlete endorsers (and their teams) to feature a designated blog on the team homepage that chronicles a player's visit to a QSR/retail location throughout the season... For products (cpg's, apparel, etc.) the blog could feature X endorser having their picture taken with a famous celebrity (and the product) in every market, etc.
• Teams can feature an "On the Road" segment on their homepage that features pictures/video/writeups of players visiting the retail locations/using products of preferred team partners
• Lower profile players can leverage blogs (like Bonner has) to score new endorsement deals with partners

With Twitter/blogging becoming a common practice by athletes and brands alike, look for more examples like The Qwest for the Hoagie Grail to come about in the near future!

A special thanks to Alex Vitanye of the Ohio University Center for Sports Administration for his insights and contributions to this column. 

adidas Rocks Europe with the NBA 5 United Tour

Are you looking to host a premier grassroots basketball tournament? Are you looking for ways to engage the local community?

In 2009, adidas executed a major grassroots basketball campaign called the NBA 5 United Tour that appeared in five (5) major cities across Europe (Athens, Madrid, Rome, Istanbul, London). The tour provided consumers in those cities with the chance to compete in a premier basketball tournament and enjoy a variety of festivities and interactive skills challenges.

• Athens - Featured 336 teams (2,088 players) at the Olympic Athletic Center of Athens
• Madrid - Featured 257 teams (1,596 players) in front of the IFEMA Feria De Madrid
• Rome - Featured 127 teams (779 players) at stadio Flamino
• Istanbul - Featured 201 teams (1,223 players) at the grounds of Santralistanbul
• London - Featured 114 teams (696 players) in front of the O2 Meridian Gardens

While adidas served as the presenting sponsor of the tournament, EA Sports, Powerade, and the NBA also invested into the tour and had a notable presence on-site. The tour's activities included daily 5v5 games, a three-point shootout, a slam dunk competition, performances by NBA dance teams, and EA Sports Video Arcade competitions.

adidas supported the campaign with an official Facebook page and an official Twitter page (although neither attracted a significant following).

Check out a few videos below that recap the activation and entertainment that took place on the adidas NBA 5 United Tour:

Athens Recap

Madrid Recap

Rome Recap

Istanbul Recap

London Recap

Use the Penalty Box to Promote Green Initiatives

Is your hockey organization looking for new ways to "go green" on game day? Are you looking for new ways to promote partners who support green initiatives during the game?

A pair of green men have become local legends at Vancouver Canucks games after being shown on CBC television taunting players from opposing teams seated in the penalty box. When opposing players are forced into the box, the "green guys" come up with creative ways to distract the players and attract the attention of fans seated throughout the arena. The Canucks' "green guys" have established an official Facebook page that has generated 14,000+ followers and features a collection of pictures, videos, and fan discussions. 

It is hard to depict whether the "green guys" initiative is a team-run initiative (if so, it's becoming a tremendous ploy to drive fan excitement), but whoever is behind the stunt is doing a tremendous job attracting a loyal following. 

If league rules permit, other hockey organizations (from all levels) should consider turning the penalty box into a "green experience":

• A team partner that supports green initiatives can feature "green-specific" signage in the box, brand two (2) green men seated adjacent to the box (who are there to drive attention to the cause), and distribute green vouchers/giveaways to select sections any time an opposing player is put in the penalty box ... A cheap, creative way to drive awareness for green initiatives!

Check out the Vancouver Canucks' "green guys" in action below: