Teams Strike Gold with Crossbar Challenges...

Are you looking for new ways to entertain fans at halftime? Are you looking to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience for one lucky fan?

Sports organizations should consider offering more promotions that put the skills of fans to the test. This practice, seen commonly overseas in the rugby and football circuits, serves as a great way to engage all fans in attendance during halftime festivities and also provides sponsors a chance to capitalize on aligning with a memorable in-game moment.

While most organizations commonly implement halftime entertainment that tasks fans with scoring to win, most should consider ways to alter these type of promotions to challenge fans in unique ways: 

• Football - Challenge one (1) select fan with hitting the field goal posts/crossbar
• Hockey - Challenge one (1) select fan with trying to hit the post (instead of scoring)
• Soccer - Challenge fans with hitting the crossbar (instead of scoring)
• Rugby - Challenge fans with hitting the crossbar
• Basketball - Challenge fans with banking a shot in off the glass

Here are two (2) great examples of Crossbar Challenges serving as a highlight at games played overseas:

Rugby

During a recent English rugby match, one lucky fan took home 250,000 euros after successfully hitting the crossbar with a punt (while not wearing shows) during a halftime Crossbar Challenge event. The winner, rugby fan Stuart Tanner, became an instant household name after coverage of the promotion was picked up by several major media outlets. See the stunt below:

Soccer

EPL club Stoke City recently held a halftime Crossbar Challenge at Britannia Stadium featuring a collection of team mascots and boxers Ricky Hatton and Scott Lawton. One contestant electrified the crowd by hitting the crossbar. 

The Crossbar Challenge also serves as a tremendous feature to include in media broadcasts of soccer matches (as seen by the Leyton Orient team challenge below):

Disney and Lady Foot Locker Offer an Ultimate Race Weekend

Are you looking to create an enticing promotion targeting female consumers? Are you looking for new ways to stimulate interest in the running space?

Disney recently teamed up with Lady Foot Locker to create a "Run Like a Princess" sweepstakes that is driving some buzz in the running space. During the month of November, consumers have the chance to log on to http://www.LadyFootLocker.com and register to win (up to once per day) an enticing Grand Prize promotional package that includes:

• Round trip airfare for (2) to Orlando, FL
• (3) night hotel accomodations at a Walt Disney World Resort
• $750 in Lady Foot Locker gear
• A $275 spa package to a Walt Disney World Resort spa
• (2) race entries to be used at any (1) of (3) races
• VIP starting line position, post-event party, etc.

The promotion serves as a great way for Disney and Lady Foot Locker to target female consumers and drive incremental awareness for Disney's Princess 1/2 Marathon Weekend Presented by Lady Foot Locker, which takes place March 5-7, 2010. To drive interest, the collaborating parties came up with a pretty creative tagline - "You've Always Wanted to Be a Princess. Here's Your Chance to Run Like One" and are also offering (50) First Place $100 Lady Foot Locker Gift Card prizes.

Check out a clip detailing the 2009 Disney's Princess Half Marathon event:

A special thanks to Mike Rodriguez for his insights and contributions to this column.