Bring Game Day Experiences to Life With 3D Photo Walls

Sports organizations looking to feature new entertainment options for fans on game day should consider investing in 3D photo walls. These fixtures provide great game day photo opportunities for fans and serve as a means to drive awareness for corporate sponsors.

While 3D photo walls are relatively uncommon in the United States marketplace, they are becoming a well recognized activation piece in global markets. In the United Kingdom, Global Games Sports has emerged as an industry leader producing the 3D photo wall fixtures. The company produces fixtures standing 6-7 feet high that are made of resign and fiber glass. These display pieces run approximately 2,000 euros but are very durable and can be customized to the exact specifications required by teams, sponsors, athletes, and fans.

3D photo walls can serve as a great, engaging way for sponsors to drive team affiliation awareness (via backdrops, props, adjoining signage, etc.) and awareness for jersey sponsorships.

Check out a few examples below: 

 

 

adidas and Zidane Team Up to Market New Line of Products

CPG companies looking for new ways to leverage sports to drive retail sales should take a close look at a recent adidas commercial spot that features soccer legend Zinedine Zidane.

Zidane is the new face of adidas' Body Care for Men, a line of deoderant, shower gel, and toiletries targeted at young male adults. adidas is using Zidane as a recognizable figurehead to drive consumer awareness and interest for its six (6) Body Care for Men products, labeled "Pure Game", "Play", "Drive", "Impact", "Strength", and "League".

In the commercial spot, Zidane is shopping at a high end retail location when he notices a young male consumer performing some amazing juggling tricks after spraying deoderant on from adidas' Body Care for Men product line. The piece does a great job leveraging adidas' partnership with Zidane and effectively tying a CPG product back to the game of soccer.

Check it out below:

The Jets and EA Sports Bring Madden '11 to Training Camp

EA Sports recently made a splash at New York Jets Training Camp by creating a Madden lounge for players to enjoy during their down time between practices. As the presenting sponsor of Jets Training Camp, EA Sports outfitted the team's players lounge with Dream Seats, a Playstation 3, and invited several members of the team down to battle head-to-head in a game of Madden '11.

The Madden Lounge served as a terrific means to showcase EA Sports' partnership, providing the Jets organization with authentic footage to show fans how the team's players collectively enjoy playing the new Madden '11 title. 

Realizing the value of the coverage, the Jets sponsorship department pushed the quality video of the players interacting in the Madden Lounge through several of the team's social media and multimedia channels, including the team homepage (writeup, photos), Official Facebook Page (videos, discussion board comments), and Official Twitter page (play-by-play coverage).

Hats off to EA Sports and the New York Jets on a well-executed campaign!

The Jets Celebrate a New Era of Football with a Commemorative Wine

The New York Jets organization is celebrating a new era of football by selling a limited release commemorative win on their team website called Jets Uncorked. The wine, a 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, was created to help fans celebrate the team's new home, the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

The Jets Uncorked wine is available for purchase online for $27.99 and will be available at select retail locations in the local marketplace beginning in September. The team opted to make 8,000 cases of the wine after touring several wineries in Napa Valley and settling veteran winemaker Marco DiGuilio and lifestyle marketing agency Wine by Design to create the concept.

Per an article in the Huffington Post, NFL organizations are allowed to work with a wine manufacturer to produce limited edition promotional packaging to commemorate significant events. The initiative serves as a great way for organizations to honor select occasions like stadium grand openings, free agent signings, Championship victories, Hall of Fame inductees, and longstanding fan loyalty. As more organizations align look to bring on Official Wine Partners, expect to see similar tactics come to fruition in sports business. 

Bring Furniture Sponsors to the Tailgate Lots

Are you looking for new ways to leverage furniture sponsors on game day? Are you looking for new ways to activate in your tailgate lots?

Sports organizations looking for new ways to deliver value for their corporate partners on game day - specifically furniture sponsors - should take a close look at the video below. A couple of students at BYU built a motorized couch using a motor from a wheel chair to get around on game day.

This idea serves as a great way for sports organizations to bring their furniture sponsors to life on game day. Instead of featuring a furniture display within the stadium concourse that you hope will draw fans, create ways that you can bring furniture to the fans, especially during the 3-4 hour tailgate window prior to games. The end result will be more impressions, more engagement, and a stronger call-to-action!

Check out the video below:

Emirates Touches Down at the 2010 World Cup

Emirates is leveraging its designation as FIFA's only Official travel partner in Johannesburg with an amazing activation display at Fan Fest that allows fans to test their soccer skills in an interactive challenge. Emirates is currently featuring a giant inflatable on-site that replicates the airlines' A380 Airbus fleet, which now flies to eight (8) select destinations across the globe.

Within the inflatable, Emirates offers soccer fans a chance to score against a virtual goalkeeper in a live penalty kick challenge. Participants are given three (3) attempts to score and are provided with a print out that details their shot selection and serves as a great takeaway from their experience. Fans waited in extremely long lines to participate in the challenge.

Check out some pictures of the activation display below:

 

 

 

Check out a video detailing Emirates' innovative fan engagement tactics on-site at the World Cup:

Emirates, the world's fastest growing airline, is also activating its World Cup sponsorship in a number of different ways:

• Emirates provided team and association travel wherever possible (to and from the world Cup)
• Emirates surprised several senior media figures from across the globe with a superb South African 2010 FIFA World Cup package, which included a tour of leading local attractions in Johannesburg and the surrounding area
• Emirates had the exclusive rights to offer either live or delayed in-flight broadcasts of the World Cup matches in 2010 and 2014
• Emirates received a ticketing and hospitality facility at all World Cup matches
• Emirates was provided the opportunity to offer unique 'follow your team' travel packages that allowed fans to watch their favorite team's games while waiting at the airport and flying on board

News Source: Kuwait Times 

Nike Goes Social with Billboard (and Kobe) in Johannesburg

Nike continued its brilliant "Write the Future" World Cup marketing campaign by turning a Johannesburg skyscraper into an electric facade that highlights the voice of Nike supporters from around the world. Nike has created a Facebook site where fans can submit a 57-character inspirational headline for the soccer player they think will write the future.

Each night, 100 fan-generated headlines are displayed across the interactive LED screen featured on the skyscraper, spanning 44m high x 42m wide x 30 stories high. The most popular and unique submissions are featured scrolling across the skyscraper, supported by a personal notification - a pretty amazing tactic that truly supports social media.

Nike is bringing the skyscraper to life using vibrant LED lights that share the personalized headlines from fans. Check out the amazing interactive display below:

Even Kobe Bryant took a moment to send a good luck message to the USA soccer team, as seen below (his message was "Break the game open. Shatter expectations."):

Bridgestone and TPC Give Entourage Fans a Chance to Hit the Links

Sports organizations looking for new ways to align with entertainment entities should consider benchmarking a recent sweepstakes promotion that TPC and Bridgestone ran on the Official Facebook page of HBO's hit show Entourage.

To help drive buzz for the show's season premiere on Sunday, HBO officials were running a five (5) day sweepstakes on the show's Official Facebook fan page that gave all participants a chance to win some extremely amazing prizes.

On Wednesday, June 23rd, Bridgestone & TPC Golf Courses teamed up with HBO to feature a sweepstakes prize package on the fan page that offered consumers the chance to win a Professional Staff Bag autographed by Fred Couples, a set of Cavity Back Irons, and two (2) rounds of golf at any TPC Course (excluding transportation to and from). The winner of the sweepstakes will be announced live by Emmanuelle during the Live Stream event on Sunday at 8pm EST / 11pm PST, which will be made available live on Entourage Facebook page through a special application and on LiveStream.com.

The Facebook fan page cross-promotion served as a terrific way for the PGA Tour, Bridgestone, and TPC Officials to target a large segment of young male consumers. The Official Entourage Facebook fan page has attracted 1.6MM avid followers and is widely recognized as a terrific entertainment platform to reach the male demo. The PGA Tour also capitalized on the unique cross-promotional opportunity by having the Golf Channel feature a segment on it on Inside the PGA Tour.

Check out a visual of the promotional execution below:

adidas Generates World Cup Buzz in Hong Kong with Giant Soccer Playground

As an Official Sponsor of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, adidas is using a variety of tactics in a number of major markets across the globe to generate buzz for the game of soccer and its brand. In Hong Kong, adidas created a massive soccer playground and featured some tremendous product displays in retail settings.

Check out a quick video that captures adidas' World Cup activation in Hong Kong below:

Bertucci's Hits a Home Run with Boston Billboard

Small businesses looking for ways to leverage local sports properties without owning rights to marks just need to think creatively to capitalize on fan affinity   

Bertucci's, a Northborough, MA company that runs a chain of Italian restaurants, recently found a unique way to capitalize on it's restaurants proximity to Fenway Park. The company is featuring a giant billboard under the iconic Citgo sign just two blocks behind Fenway Park that says, "Free Dinner for Everyone at the Ballpark If a Homerun Hits This Billboard (If Not, Distinctive Deals Start at Just $9.99)".

While the billboard's claim is outlandish (because a home run would never travel that far), it is an extremely relevant messaging piece to thousands of Red Sox fans passing by the sign to hop on the subway after taking in a game at Fenway. The piece demonstrates how local businesses can capitalize on professional/collegiate sports taking place nearby without owning rights to marks or mentioning affiliated terms (e.g. Red Sox, Fenway, etc.). Check out the creative billboard campaign below:

 

Whoever is behind Bertucci's outdoor campaigns is a pure marketing genius. In 2007, the chain featured a billboard that mirrored the look of the city's transit signs, subconsciously drawing the eye of consumers passing by. It was an extremely creative tactic that attracted the attention of several media outlets, including Adrants.com.

  

Source: PCE 2210 Flickr Page