Xylobands Bring Live Event Experiences to Life in New Ways

In the next few months, team and brand marketers should maintain a close eye on a growing phenomenon in sports and entertainment - xylobands.

Xylobands are essentially wristbands with LED lights that allow large crowds at live events/shows to simultaneously flash different colors and messages in the air. The xylobands are radio controlled bands that allow event organizers to control when the lights (on the wrists of fans) are lit up at a pre-determined time, creating a pretty fascinating spectacle for fans in-attendance as well as those watching at home.

The premium items have been utilized on the X-Factor as well as on Coldplay's recent concert tour. Event organizers can coordinate for the bands to flash at particular times during pre-game, halftime, and post-game festivities as well as potentially during timeouts in play.

Check out the xylobands in action below:

Manchester City and Jaguar Team Up for An Entertaining Halftime Promotion

Manchester City FC recently teamed up with Jaguar to create a pretty thrilling form of halftime entertainment for fans to enjoy that can be replicated in most other major professional sports.

The game, called Boot the Boot, tasks select fans with attempting to kick soccer balls from a distance into the trunk of a Jaguar that is parked within the corner tunnels of Etihad Stadium at the playing level (a trunk is commonly referred to as a boot in Europe). The promotion is perfectly suited for in-game entertainment because it adds a level of excitement while seamlessly integrating the Jaguar brand into the experience.

A similar promotion can be replicated in several additional sports, including:

1. Baseball - MLB/MiLB teams can task fans with throwing a baseball from 2nd base (or the outfield) into the trunk of a car (one-hopping it along the way)

2. Basketball - Teams can task fans with trying to throw a full-court pass into the trunk of a car for the chance to win free parking for a section of fans at the game

3. Tennis - Tennis officials can task fans with trying to hit 5 of 10 tennis balls into the trunk of an automobile located at courtside for the chance to win a free lease for a year

4. Football - Teams can ask fans to attempt to throw a 30-40 yard pass into the trunk of a car (located along the sidelines) for the chance to win a free lease for a year

Check out the MCFC-Jaguar "Boot the Boot" promotion below and consider new ways that your organization can integrate automobile partners in a fun, memorable way for fans!

Iowa Athletics Turns to a Card Stunt to Promote ANF Day Celebration

The University of Iowa Athletics Department recently teamed up with the Iowa Farm Bureau to pull off a spectacular stadium card stunt display in celebration of America Needs Farmers (ANF) Day at Kinnick Stadium.

Prior to kickoff of a recent Iowa-Northwestern football game, four grandstands of Hawkeyes fans at Kinnick Stadium held up cards on cue to deliver some impactful messages to 70,000 fans inside the stadium and a national television audience on Big Ten Network.

The impressive stadium card stunt display served as an effective way to drive awareness for the America Needs Farmers movement nationwide and creatively unite a stadium full of football fans. The University of Iowa Athletics Department captured the action on several cameras, including one on a time lapse setting that provides a remarkable viewpoint of the activation.

Check out the card stunts below and consider ways that your organization can leverage similar stunts to drive awareness for brands and cause marketing efforts!

Video of the Card Stunt Display

Time Lapse of the Card Stunt Display

Additional ANF Branding and Activation on Game Day

A special thanks to Craig Decker of Virginia Sports Properties for his insights and contributions to this column!

The Toronto Blue Jays Celebrate 80's Night in Style

The Toronto Blue Jays do a terrific job bringing their 80's Nights at the ballpark to life for fans. Check out four (4) great videos below that showcase some of the creative ways the team incorporated an '80s thematic into several elements of their game entertainment.

Consider new ways that your organization can benchmark these tactics to create a memorable night at the ballpark for your fan base! Also, consider approaching one of your corporate partners to see if they would be interested in title sponsoring the night and letting fans relive their brand "in the past" as well! (ala Coca-Cola, IBM, Perrier, Reebok, etc.)

Toronto Blue Jays' 80's Themed Scoreboard Vignette

Toronto Blue Jays' 80's Themed LED Creative

Toronto Blue Jays' 80's Themed Trivia Features

7 Great Promotional Ideas From Minor League Baseball

Minor League Baseball delivers some of the finest, unconventional ideas in all of sports. Here are seven (7) great promotional and entertainment ideas that teams from all leagues can consider benchmarking to enhance the game day fan experience at their venue.

I. Durham Bulls "Rock On" Promotion

The Durham Bulls created an entertaining segment where fans seated along the 3rd base line engaged in a singing competition against fans sitting along the first base line. The team played some commonly recognized rock songs that were easily embraced by the crowd. We should see more of this in Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball! Simple, yet effective. 

II. Live Rain Delay Theater Entertainment (Miscellaneous MiLB Teams)

The following clip demonstrates how a series of MiLB teams used a splash of creativity to entertain fans during rain delays and stoppages of play. The performances require some pre-game planning but serve as a great way to demonstrate additional entertainment value for fans.

III. Lake County Captains - "Are You Smarter Than an Umpire?" Promotion Presented by the Ohio Lottery

The Lake County Captains created a promotion replicating the popular show, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" by creating a promotion where fans can test their sports IQ head-to-head against an umpire between innings.

IV. Charlotte Stone Crabs - Closest to the Pin Contest on Golfer's Appreciation Night

The Charlotte Stone Crabs attracted golfers in the local marketplace out to the ballpark by offering a post-game closest to the pin contest that allowed golfers to test their skills hitting a shot from home plate out to a flag in deep center field.

 

V. Lake County Captains - "The Price is Right" Promotion Presented by BJ's

The Lake County Captains did an excellent job creating a promotion replicating The Price is Right that features three (3) lucky fans being called out of the stands and onto the field to participate for a chance to win prizes.

 

VI. Lake County Captains - "Build El Burrito" Promotion Presented by Chipotle

The Lake County Captains created a simple on-field promotion where fans have to race to use a series of ingredients to build a burrito. The promotion, presented by Chipotle, served as a great awareness driver that also enhances the fan experience between innings.

VII. Lake County Captains - Michigan International Speedway Tire Race

The Captains teamed up with Michigan International Speedway to create a competition where two (2) contestants had to race head-to-head rolling actual tires used in NASCAR races around the infield for the chance to win ten (10) free tickets to an upcoming race.

The Portland Timbers Army Sing the National Anthem

The Portland Timbers kicked off their 2011 MLS season at home, the new Jeld-Wen Field, by allowing the Timbers Army (the team's fanbase) to sing the National Anthem.

Check out this incredible fan-friendly tactic that helped ring in a new era of soccer in Portland!

Introducing the Piano Juggler

Sports properties looking to feature new entertainment acts at their games should take a close look at The Piano Juggler - an interesting character who puts on quite a show for fans. Check out a few of his halftime performances below:

Leverage Spin & Win Animations to Engage Sections of Fans

Sports organizations looking to create new scoreboard entertainment features should take a close look at the "Spin & Win" slot machine animation created by the Austin Toros of the NBA D-League.

Teams can create similar, engaging animations to serve several purposes:

• Create a "chance to win" / "scoreboard surprise" moment in-game that (from a perception standpoint) fairly selects and rewards one (1) lucky section in arena 
• Effectively leverage a casino partner (in countries/markets where gambling activity can be actively promoted in-arena) with an engaging scoreboard promotion that serves as a great engagement and affiliation awareness play
• Promote a team/corporate partner donation to a select charity on behalf of a designated section
• Actively promote a section in the stadium/arena receiving a special discount on concessions during the game (or a select period of time during the game)

Check it out below:

The Admirals Provide Giant Beach Ball Entertainment

The Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL) have found an interesting way to entertain fans during select intermissions - a giant beach ball. The team features a Beach Ball Bounce game on the ice that features two (2) teams of four (4) helmeted participants competing to knock the beach ball, filled with helium, through open boards at both ends of the ice (where the zamboni's drive in).

The promotion could serve as a great way for organizations to cross-promote other sports in town (local soccer club, basketball team with giant branding on a ball), local businesses (giant bowling ball, pool ball), lotteries (giant lottery ball), casinos, and more.

Check out the Admirals' execution of the Giant Beach Ball Bounce below:

Bring Game Entertainment to Life for Fans Via Social Media

Each and every football weekend, sports marketers need to consider ways that they can recreate the stadium experience for thousands of viewers at home. With social media, marketers have a very cost-effective platform to bring stadium entertainment to life for fans to watch during the week, before games, and after huge victories.

Quality content that can be captured and rebroadcasted via social media can include:

• Pre-Game
  • Pre-game introductions, scoreboard introduction videos, pre-game traditions, time lapse videos of fans entering the stadium, pictures/video of game day giveaways, the National Anthem, pre-game skydivers, tailgating insights, pep rallies, pre-game concerts, pre-game band performances, warmups/walk-throughs, etc.
• In-Game
  • Scoreboard features, on-field promotions, fan cheers, cheerleaders/dance team, halftime entertainment, in-game ceremonies, etc.
• Post-Game
  • Band performances, team celebrations, post-game interviews, fan celebrations, scoreboard highlights, fireworks, post-game concerts, etc.

As an example of capturing quality game day footage, enclosed is a great video that lets fans experience the thrills of a skydiver gliding into a stadium packed with 80,000+ screaming fans before a rivalry game. Capture these special moments for your fan base!

The Mavericks Raise Some Eyebrows with Latest Viral

Are you looking for new ways to drive awareness for your team's recent success? Are you looking for ways to drive crowd excitement at games?

The Dallas Mavericks are one of the best sports organizations when it comes to creativity. The organization recently released a piece entitled "Eyebrows" that features two players - Rodrigue Beaubois and Brendan Haywood - stirring some excitement with dancing eyebrows.

The piece does a tremendous time driving buzz around the organization just prior to its appearance against the San Antonio Spurs.Check it out below!

The Best Hockey Race You've Never Seen...

Are you looking to add a little humor to your on-ice entertainment? Are you looking for new ways to promote QSR and casual dining partners?

The Atlanta Thrashers recently held a hilarious on-ice race between three fans competing as Applebees entree items... As you watch the race, you will notice that the Thrashers called on the team's mascot and an inflatable sumo wrestler to add some unpredictability and excitement for fans.

A must see... Check it out:

Drive Excitement with Fan Makeovers and Look-A-Like Segments...

Are you looking for new ways to leverage hair salon/cosmetic surgeon/exercise and fitness partners? Are you looking for ways to drive fan excitement during stoppages of play?

Take a quick moment and watch an interesting episode that took place at a recent Patriots game when WR Randy Moss caught a glimpse of a fan look-a-like (wearing a Randy Moss mask) on the video board at Gillette stadium...

Teams looking for new ways to leverage cosmetic surgeons, fitness centers, and hair care salon partners, should consider taking a page from the classic makeover segments featured on daytime talk shows that have proven to be a hit with viewers. Properties can feature a "Fan Makeover" or "Fan Look-A-Like" segment during games that will surely drive fan excitement (although it needs to be done in a classy manner).

To execute the initiative, teams can collaborate with a non-traditional partner whose business focuses on physical attributes (hair care, surgeons, fitness partners, tanning salons) to create a segment where three (3) fans who are chosen prior to the game have their new appearances revealed on the video board during halftime festivities or select stoppages of play. Teams can drive fan excitement by giving fans makeovers to resemble players, coaches, popular team personnel, or celebrities that are attending the game.

Consider new ways that you can bring non-traditional partners to life in memorable ways on game day!

The Mavericks' Great Baby Race of 2009

Are you looking for new ways to leverage cpg companies and non-traditional partners? Are you looking to create game entertainment that caters to all fans in attendance?

The Dallas Mavericks recently teamed up with retail partner Academy Sports + Outdoors to feature an All-Star baby race during the 3rd quarter of a recent home game that turned out to be a huge hit with fans. The contest pinned four (4) babies sporting Dallas Mavericks gear racing (slowly) across a mat in front of thousands of the team's supporters.

The Mavericks did a tremendous job executing the promotion by leveraging the PA announcer to drive fan excitement and featured some great camera angles of the action on the video board.

The All-Star baby race served as a great way for Academy Sports + Outdoors to distinguish the fact that it is the Official Headquarters for the Dallas Mavericks for all fans (men, women, kids, babies, etc.). The collaborating parties could bring the promotion to life slightly more by assigning sections to each of the four babies (with the winning baby's section receiving $5 gift cards while all other participating sections receiving a discount at purchase). Nonetheless, Mavericks fans in attendance won't forget the baby race (and Academy Spots + Outdoors) the next time they are shopping for their kids!

Check out the Mavericks' classic All-Star baby race below: