UNM Athletics Turns to A Giant Pencil to Drive Fan Engagement

Sports properties looking for new ways to engage office supply partners (e.g. Office Depot, Office Max, etc.) should take a close look at the following promotion executed by Lobos Sports Properties at a recent University of New Mexico home basketball game.

Lobos Sports Properties created a promotion where a blindfolded fan had to locate a giant pencil positioned on the court in a given time frame to win a grand prize. During the contest, fans had to try to guide the fan by shouting out simple instructions. The promotion is extremely simple (and commonly used in the collegiate sports space for a variety of corporate partners) but serves as an effective and engaging awareness driver, especially for a company like Midway Office Supply.

Lobos Sports Properties could consider taking the fan engagement aspect to the next level by rewarding a section with free office supplies (e.g. pack of pens per person seated in Section 108) if the fan were to locate the Giant Pencil... and possibly pens for the entire arena if he was able to locate it within the first 5 seconds.

With this promotion, it would be hard for fans to leave the arena that night and not remember the giant pencil! Check it out below:

Lobos Sports Properties has done a terrific job compiling all of its basketball arena inventory and promotions on an Official YouTube page, which can definitely be considered to be an industry best practice. Look for more college sports properties to leverage YouTube as a similar hosting platform for sponsorship inventory in the near future!

Mavericks Fans Show Off Their Dance Moves to Win a Suite

The Dallas Mavericks recently partnered with Xbox Kinect to create a Dance Central "Suite Moves" contest that allows fans to show off their best dance moves for the chances to win a catered suite for twelve (12) and a Kinect prize pack.

For a chance to win, Mavericks fans had to physically participate at the Xbox Kinect display area in the AAC concourse during two (2) Mavericks games in January. The best eight (8) performers were then selected to compete head-to-head in a pre-game Dance Central contest during the team's home game against the Atlanta Hawks on January 29th for a chance to make it to the final round and win the ultimate suite package.

Check out a video that the Mavericks created to promote the initiative to its fanbase.

The Predators Celebrate Halloween with JibJab

Are you looking to create new, captivating video board vignettes? Are you looking for ways to create holiday-specific fan entertainment?

The Nashville Predators recently celebrated their Halloween matchup against the Dallas Stars by featuring a creative JibJab vignette on the jumbotron during the game. The clip centered around a Monster Mash thematic with the faces of Predator players incorporated into the mix. The clip proved to be a huge hit with fans and was later featured on the team's Facebook page for all to enjoy.

Check it out below:

The Seahawks Host a Dachshund Dash at Halftime

Are you looking to offer unique forms of halftime entertainment? Are you looking for new ways to support local dog shelters and charitable organizations?

When the Seattle Seahawks hosted the Detroit Lions at Qwest Field on November 8th, the team called in some extra assistance with their halftime entertainment. The Seahawks hosted the 3rd annual dachshund dash (commonly referred to as a weiner dog race) from the 50-yard line to the end zone. The races, benefiting Dachshund Rescues, featured two heats and a post-race awards ceremony with custom-made trophies.

The sold-out crowd of 67,000+ fans found the unique race to be quite amusing. Check it out below:

The Seahawks Mascot Goes Skydiving to Promote Halftime...

Are you looking for new ways to drive buzz and awareness for an upcoming halftime performance? Are you looking for new ways to integrate corporate partners in halftime festivities?

During their upcoming game against the Oakland Raiders, the Seattle Seahawks are set to feature the Red Bull Air Force skydive team landing on the field during halftime. The 12-man skydiving team, who have performed 13K jumps together, will be making a stadium appearance to the tune of a live concert by the band The Presidents of the United States.

In an effort to promote the upcoming halftime festivities, the Seahawks sent their mascot, Blitz, last week to Pugent Sound to jump with the Red Bull Skydive team as a promotional stunt. The video, shown below, will be featured on the video board in the stadium for all fans in attendance to see while The Presidents of the United States perform a song about the mascot called "This is a Blitz". 

Hats off to the Seahawks organization for working with the Red Bull Air Force to create a captivating piece that truly shows the team's Seahawks mascot in flight. Check it out below:

The Peach Belt Conference Drives BMW's Business...

Are you looking for new ways to leverage auto partners? Are you looking to create a partnership driven around a tournament championship?

John Semeraro and his colleagues at the Peach Belt Conference recently did a tremendous job integrating BMW into the conference's men's and women's basketball tournaments. Semeraro and representatives at the Peach Belt Conference created the "Taylor BMW Ultimate Drive to the Championship", an traffic-driving initiative that seamlessly integrated the local BMW retailer into the tournament action.

For two (2) weeks leading up to the tournament, Taylor BMW offered free co-branded tournament passes for the first 200 people who came into the dealership and opted to test drive a BMW. Taylor BMW supported the initiative by featuring cars on display at the tournament, championship banners along high-traffic roadways, and numerous branding pieces within the dealership setting.

Highlighting the Peach Belt Conference and Taylor BMW's partnership was the "Taylor BMW Ultimate Shoot-Out Bracket Challenge", a free throw challenge competition that enabled winners from the men's and women's brackets to win a free BMW Golf Bag or BMW Electric Car Cooler.

The Peach Belt Conference executed the promotion by hosting a contest at halftime of each game where two (2) participants were drawn for the chance to see who could make the most free throws during a 35 second timespan. The participant who made the most free throws advanced in a bracket-style competition each day of the five (5) day tournament.

To add to the tournament excitement once the free-throw shootout was completed, one (1) individual was drawn for both the men's and women's game to shoot for a certified pre-owned BMW. To win the BMW, the individual was challenged with making one (1) layup, free throw, three-point shot, and half court shot in 30 seconds.

The Peach Belt Conference and Taylor BMW teamed up to create a "true partnership" with representatives from both sides engaged and involved in all aspects of BMW's involvement on-site. The employees from Taylor BMW became very engaged in the Taylor BMW Ultimate Drive to the Championship promotion and gained a greater appreciation for the quality of NCAA Division II student-athletes competing in the Peach Belt Conference basketball tournament.    

The promotion enabled Taylor BMW to:

• Drive retail traffic and trial
• Collect signups with quality user information (in an effort to target new customers)
• Drive brand affiliation and awareness (roadway signage, dealership branding, on-site display) 
• Offer an engaging in-game promotion that creatively integrated its tagline
• Leave a lasting, memorable impression on fans

Congrats to the Peach Belt Conference and Taylor BMW for collaborating to create such a great initiative that benefits all parties involved!