The Thunder Play Mascot Pranks on Employees...

Are you looking to create original video board vignettes? Are you looking for new ways to integrate team employees and mascots in-game?

The Oklahoma City Thunder recently featured an excellent video board vignette during one of their home games that involved their mascot, Rumble, waking up the team's employees as they headed into work during the early morning hours. The clip does a great job providing fans a humorous, behind-the-scenes look at some of the mascot's antics outside outside of the arena and enables team employees to enjoy some humor of their own.

What's unique about this piece is that the team finds a way to incorporate its employees in the fan entertainment, something that is not too common in the sports landscape. The vignette serves as a nice way to reward/humor all of the individuals behind the scenes who are working long hours to maximize the team's ticket sales, sponsorship revenue, community relations efforts, fan entertainment, etc.

Check out the creative vignette piece, entitled "Wake Up with Rumble the Bison" here.

A special thanks to David Yu of the University of Oregon Warsaw Sports Marketing Center for his insights and contributions to this column!

Golfsmith Offers Free Drivers if Sergio Wins the Masters...

Are you looking to create a captivating golf promotion? Are you searching for new ways to drive product sales?

With sports enthusiasts eagerly anticipating the 2009 Masters, Golfsmith recently announced a captivating promotion that is sure to drive a lot of attention. The golf retailer is offering all consumers who purchase a new Taylormade R9, r7 Limited, or '09 Burner driver through April 11th a chance to receive a free refund of their purchase if Sergio Garcia wins the Masters.

After purchasing one of the three (3) aforementioned clubs either in-store or online at Golfsmith.com, consumers are asked to send in a refund promotion form that they receive with their purchase. If Sergio Garcia wins the Masters, Golfsmith will refund consumers' full Taylormade driver purchase. 

Golfsmith is taking a huge risk with the promotion (the clubs retail between $299-$399), but with Sergio's 0-41 record in the majors, it is a risk they are willing to take. Advertising Age states that for every 3,000 drivers it sells through the promotion, it stands at the risk of having to shell out $1MM.

Boston Celtics Fans Love Their Gino...

Are you looking for a new way to entertain your fans during games? Are you looking for unique ways to leverage video board content during timeouts?

During the Boston Celtics' 2008 NBA Championship Title run, the city of Boston became infatuated with a phenomenon involving "Gino", a character from the 1970's show American Bandstand.

Each time the Celtics were in a position to win, the team would play a clip on the video board of Gino dancing his tail off in classic attire with the name Gino emblazoned across the front of his shirt. Gino quickly became an instant hit in Boston, with some even referring to him as the team's unofficial mascot.

Gino fever led the Wall Street Journal to begin an investigation in 2008 to track down who the mysterious Boston legend actually was.  Unfortunately for Celtics fans everywhere, the Wall Street Journal's investigation found that Joseph R. Massoni aka "Gino" passed away at the age of 34 in Fontana, California. But in Boston, the Gino legend will always live on.

Check out a clip of Gino in action celebrating a Celtics victory below:

Shaq and LeBron Post New Pre-Game Intros...

Are you looking for new ways to entertain fans during pre-game festivities? Are you looking for ways that athletes and teams can leverage their corporate partners in new situations?

In recent weeks, Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James have called on their teammates to help them create some captivating pre-game introductions. The pre-game features are beginning to draw a significant amount of buzz as they help show the true personalities of the players.

There hasn't been any word on whether the NBA approves/disapproves of the pre-game features (as they creep close to touchdown celebrations) but it could open up the door for many teams and athletes to consider new ways to leverage corporate partners.

For instance, in the videos of Shaq and LeBron's pre-game intros displayed below, both could have easily tied in a corporate partner (if there was an opportunity to do so) by simply displaying a sign at the end of the feature that promoted a camera/film company (e.g. Kodak, Olympus, etc.) or a bowling alley (mirroring an improv skit).

Consider new ways that you can bring your corporate partners to the forefront on game day!

The Brewers Look to the Dollar Menu to Deliver Value...

Are you looking to make your events more affordable for fans? Are you looking for new ways to spike concessions sales?

The Milwaukee Brewers are responding to the concerns of their cash-strapped fans by recently announcing that they will offer a $1 menu concession stand at Miller Park during the 2009 season. The stand, which will not be open for every game during the season (including the team's season opener against the Chicago Cubs), will offer hot dogs, a 12-ounce soda, a 24-ounce tub of popcorn, a small ice cream cone, and a large cookie all for $1 apiece.

The Brewers can afford to offer such a deal because the team's ticket sales initiative has been so strong heading into 2009 - the team reached one (1) million tickets sold faster than at any other time in team history (despite the current economic decisions).

The dollar menu initiative is a great way for the team to sincerely demonstrate its appreciation of the commitment the team's fans have shown in the past few months despite all of the economic hardships. However, Brewers fans looking to capitalize on this great value can expect long lines throughout the season with the team slated to only offer one (1) stand for consumers to take advantage of at Miller Park.

With the 2009 baseball season set to begin in just a few days, expect the Brewers' dollar menu initiative to be modeled throughout the industry. The San Diego Padres recently announced that they will be offering a "Five for $5" concessions initiative in 2009 where consumers can receive a regular hot dog, a 22-ounce soda, a medium bag of popcorn, a small bag of peanuts, and a large cookie for just $5 (providing $8-$10 in savings for consumers). Check back for more price point promotions being implemented by MLB teams at the concessions stand!

The Raptors Play "Spin the Smirnoff Bottle"...

Are you looking to create an engaging in-game promotion that rewards fans?

The Toronto Raptors recently teamed up with Smirnoff Ice to create a "Spin the Smirnoff Bottle" promotion that rewards fans with a variety of prizes. The Raptors place the Smirnoff spinwheel board at mid-court and offer select contestants the chance to win one of several prizes:

• Air Canada Flight Vouchers
• $200 Gift Certificates
• Lower Bowl Tickets
• Raptors Night Out Passes
• An Autographed Jersey

The concept is so simple, yet effective because everyone is familiar with the "Spin the Bottle" concept. The promotion serves as a great awareness/retention driver for Smirnoff. Check out a picture of the action below:

Ford Rewards NASCAR Fans When Its Cars Win...

Are you looking to create a promotion that generates nationwide interest? Are you looking to reward fans when your organization wins?

Ford Motor Company recently announced a "We Race. You Win" promotion that rewards NASCAR fans each time a Ford Racing Driver wins a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in 2009. The promotion, designed to drive awareness for the 2010 Ford Fusion car and build fan affinity for the Ford brand, rewards select fans who register to win on the company's promotional website.

Each week a Ford Racing team wins, fans who register have the chance to win:

• An all-expenses-paid trip to the Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway (includes airfare, hotel, rental car, tickets to all three (3) races, and a VIP visit with Ford drivers at the racetrack)
• A 2010 Ford Fusion
• A winning driver come to his/her hometown for a 2010 Fusion test drive and dinner
• Ten (10) random drawings of Ford Racing-themed prizes (autographed helmets, apparel packs, etc.)

Adidas Commemorates Dwight Howards' All-Star Appearance...

Are you looking to derive incremental value out of your company's PSA deals?

Consider additional ways that you can commemorate your star endorser's achievements. With a number of jewel events taking place throughout the season (first game of the season, All-Star Game, playoffs, etc.), there are ample opportunities to leverage unique promotional offers and media campaigns.

Adidas has recently done a fantastic job touting Dwight Howards' appearance at the upcoming NBA All-Star Game. The apparel company recently released "Man Child", a viral clip that showcases Dwight Howard wearing some select Adidas gear (the Adidas All-Star Jersey, Adidas' TECHFIT PowerWeb and Padded compression gear, and Howard's TS BOUNCE Commander shoe).

The clip also kicks off an "Inside PHX with Dwight Howard" all-access initiative that fans can access by texting ALLSTAR to ADIDAS (234327). Throughout All-Star weekend, Adidas will enable fans to receive up-to-the-minute photos, videos, and text updates from Dwight at adidasbasketball.com. Check out the clip below:

Chalk Up a Promotional Victory for Nike and the Cavs...

Are you looking for new ways to integrate corporate partners? Are you looking for ways to capitalize on pre-game rituals of your team's star players?

On Christmas Day, Nike and the Cleveland Cavaliers teamed up to offer all fans in attendance a chance to join LeBron James while he completed his pre-game ritual throwing chalk into the air. As fans entered the Quicken Loans Arena, Nike distributed an exclusive "WITNESS" confetti chalk pack with instructions on how and when to throw. 

Just prior to tipoff, Nike successfully created a reenactment of its "LeBron Six-Chalk Edition" television commercial when thousands of Cavaliers fans joined LeBron James with the infamous chalk throw at press row. The promotion scored a lot of media attention and served as a great way for Nike to let fans live in the moment and experience something really special.

Nike complemented its distribution of confetti chalk packs by shooting 1,000 limited edition 12.25.08 Nike WITNESS t-shirts into the stands. The Cavaliers supported this by offering a special gift-with-purchase promotion that enabled Cavaliers fans to receive a 12.25.08 WITNESS shirt with the purchase of $50+ of Nike product in the Cavaliers Team Shop or on CavaliersTeamShop.com

Check out the promotional execution below:

A special thanks to alex Vitanye of the Ohio University Sports Administration Program for his insights and contributions to this column!

Wake Forest Has One of the Best Intros In Sports...

Are you looking to enhance your pre-game introductions? Are you looking for ways to drive fan excitement before tipoff?

Wake Forest University has created a tremendous pre-game introductions scheme for its 2008-09 men's basketball season. The University athletic department does a great job engaging fans and building energy in the building. Check it out below:

Nike Rewards the UK's Fastest Runners With Exclusive Invitation...

Is your organization looking for a unique way to invite guests to an exclusive event?

In October 2007, Nike launched Supersonic, an exclusive invite-only event for running enthusiasts in the United Kingdom. To earn an invitation, consumers had to compete at four (4) weekly 100m speed trials across London throughout the month of October. The fastest 1,000 runners were awarded the opportunity to attend the Nike+ Supersonic event with two (2) guests of their choice. The prize at stake? The chance to mingle with Nike athletes, celebrities, and live DJ's at one of the UK's hottest events of the year.

To support the promotional event and enable contestants to connect with one another, Nike created a Nike+ Supersonic Myspace page which quickly attracted 1,000+ fans. The site detailed the winners of the challenge, free downloads, details and pictures of the Nike+ Supersonic event, and information on Nike+ gear.

The novelty of the Nike+ Supersonic event's exclusive invitation list based on consumer engagement is one that can be replicated in many different settings... Consider how you can create a similar idea for your organization!

For more insights and information, check out two (2) videos and a Flickr gallery that capture the Nike Supersonic event in action:

Orlando Magic Fans Sure Love Superman...

Is your organization looking to do something special for its fanbase? Are you looking for a unique way to drive attention to your brand at a game/event that takes place on a holiday?

Prior to their home Christmas Day tipoff against the New Orleans Hornets, the Orlando Magic placed a team-branded Superman shirt on every seat in the Amway Arena. The shirt symbolizes the nickname given to the team's star forward Dwight Howard after he adorned a Superman cape in route to winning the 2008 All Star Slam Dunk Contest.

The premium shirt giveaway proved to be a hit with all fans in attendance and drew a significant amount of media buzz. The jersey-style shirts featured a Superman logo on the front with Dwight Howard's name/number and an Orlando Magic logo on the back. Warner Brothers also provided $500 to a family of Orlando Nursery Day, and complemented the gift with a donation of clothes, toys, movies, and other items to the family. 

How popular were the shirts with Magic fans? Soon after the game, the Magic faithful began testing their Ebay resale value online with a starting price of $30.

Consider new ways to provide your fanbase with unique, premium items that will win over fans in attendance!

A special thanks to J.T. McWalters of the Orlando Magic organization for his insights and contributions to this column.

Chipotle Rewards Cardinals Fans for Team's SB Appearance...

Are you looking to reward fans through a traffic-driving promotional initiative?

In an effort to drive buzz around the Super Bowl, Chipotle recently announced that it will be hosting a "Big Red Pep Rally" for fans of the Arizona Cardinals. On Saturday, January 31st (the day before the Super Bowl) all Arizona Chipotle retail locations will reward consumers with a free burrito, taco, bowl, or salad. Chipotle is only requiring that fans wear red to pick up their free food from 2pm to 4pm that afternoon.

This is a great example of a company finding unique ways to capitalize on sports to drive incremental buzz and traffic to their retail locations!

A special thanks to Jonathan Norman of GMR Marketing for his insights and contributions to this column.

The Super Bowl Kickoff Belongs To... Papa Johns

Are you looking to create a unique football-themed promotion? Are you looking for an interesting way to tie in a media personality to your promotional offer?

Looking to capitalize on all of the frenzy surrounding the Super Bowl, Papa Johns has created a unique performance-driven promotion that has the potential to reward fans in a LARGE way.

If the opening kickoff of the Super Bowl (Papa Johns uses the terminology "The Big Game") is returned for a touchdown, every consumer who registers* on the Countdown To Kickoff webpage before 6pm on Super Bowl Sunday will become eligible to receive a large, one-topping pizza for just 25 cents. The 25 cent offer coincides with this year being Papa John's 25th anniversary.

Is the promotional offer possible? Yes, very possible - eight (8) kickoffs have been returned for a touchdown in Super Bowl history (seven (7) of which have occured since 1984). During the 2008-09 season, thirteen (13) kickoffs were returned for touchdowns (Source: Countdown to Kickoff webpage)

Papa Johns has called on ESPN football personality Desmond Howard, who holds the record for the longest touchdown return in Super Bowl history, to help promote the unique discount offer for fans. The Countdown to Kickoff webpage features a few great viral clips that show Desmond Howard expressing his love for football and Papa Johns pizza while working at a Papa Johns retail location. Papa Johns is also supporting the promotion with a Facebook application/group which already boasts 200,671 fans.

*When registering online, fans are asked to provide their name, email, complete address, and birthdate.

The Illinois Lottery Makes One Blackhawk Fan an Instant Millionaire...

Are you looking for a unique way to leverage a lottery partner? Are you looking for a way to reward fans based on your team's performance?

Beginning January 14th, 2009, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Illinois Lottery teamed up to offer a "Million Dollar Minute" promotion where all fans seated in a designated section of the arena would win an instant lottery ticket courtesy of the Illinois Lottery if a Blackhawks player did not score a goal at exactly the 10:00 mark of the 2nd period.

The only problem? It already happened.

During the Blackhawks game against the Minnesota Wild, Blackhawks RW Martin Havlat scored a goal exactly at the 10:00 mark of the 2nd period.  As a result, one lucky season ticket holder (to be named) seated in Section 326 of the United Center instantly won one million dollars! The seat location and section of the potential winner was selected randomly at the beginning of the game (without the fan's discretion).

The winner will be named and made available to the media prior to the Blackhawks game against the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday.

Jack in the Box and the Lakers Create a Taco Frenzy in LA...

Are you looking to take your in-game promotions to the next level?

Free tacos have become a phenomenon in Los Angeles thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Los Angeles Lakers organization and Jack in the Box. Taco frenzy in LA began in 2006-07, when Jack in the Box partnered with the Lakers to distribute a coupon for two (2) free tacos to all fans in attendance each time the team wins and holds its opponents under 100 points at home.

While promotions based on team performance (when the team scores XX points, fans win XXX) have become common in the sports marketplace, few have garnered the same level of media attention that the Lakers-Jack in the Box promotion has received. The promotion has been discussed by Ryan Seacrest on his weekly radio show, has become a hit with online bloggers, and has even made its way to the Lakers locker room. Lakers head coach Phil Jackson has used the taco promotion as a motivational tool for his players to play better defense and has made taco references during several post-game interviews.

Over the past few seasons, the promotion has absolutely taken off. Jack in the Box even took the promotion to the next level by teaming up with Fox Sports West and the Lakers to create "We Want Tacos" t-shirts as a giveaway to all fans in attendance at a select game.

"We Want Tacos" chants have become a tradition at Lakers games (as seen in the clip below)...Someone please tell Lakers fans that two (2) regular tacos only cost $0.99 at Jack in the Box.

The "We Want Tacos" promotion has become a cult-like obsession with Lakers fans seated in the upper bowl at the Staples Center...

But what happens when Lakers fans don't get their tacos? A chorus of boos and plenty of media coverage... Check out a clip of the action below:

A special thanks to Blain Skinner and his team of personnel at the Los Angeles Lakers organization for their insights and contributions to this column.

Have You Considered Creating a Scoreboard Section?

Are you looking to create exclusive sections in-venue at a minimal cost? Are you looking to drive excitement in certain sections of your upper bowl seating?

It really is a phenomenon how much fans love being shown on the scoreboard... For many, is there anything greater than going to a game and being featured on the scoreboard?

In most cases scoreboard cameos require fans to dance, kiss, make faces, etc. Being featured on a scoreboard is such a captivating moment for fans, yet interestingly enough, it is something that most organizations take for granted.

Over the past few years many organizations have adopted the All-You-Can-Eat model to drive fan excitement and new revenue streams. Could the next wave of fan-friendly sections be "Scoreboard Sections", where fans are guaranteed an appearance on the scoreboard at some point in time during the game?

It would be interesting to see if fans would be willing to pay an incremental price to sit in such a section. But regardless, the concept of a "Scoreboard Section" could be a great way to drive ticket demand for select sections of your venue.

Which leads to the question... We have seen so many advances in scoreboard technology, etc. When will the industry witness the first professional team feature a stand-alone Fan Cam Scoreboard that strictly shows fans' reactions and actions throughout the duration of a game? One has to figure that after all, most casual fans now go to sporting events for the entertainment value as much as the excitement of the game.

Are Your Fans' Birthdays Worth Free Admission?

Are you looking for new ways to stimulate fan attendance? Are you looking for new fan promotions that can tie in corporate partners?

In September, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts announced a new promotion that enables guests to get into one of their parks for FREE on their birthday. All visitors have to do is show valid identification and proof of birthday to qualify at the ticket office or online. The promotion is part of Disney's ongoing "What Will You Celebrate" thematic to drive traffic/interest in the Disney parks in 2009.

Which leads to the question, can't this promotion also serve as an effective traffic driver in the sports marketplace? All teams are risking by implementing such a promotion is the revenue from those people whose birthdays it is that might have come to the game/event anyway.

Teams can view the promotion as a way to drive incremental attendance and revenue streams from concessions/merchandise/parking, figuring that when a consumer decides to celebrate his/her birthday at the game, they will never come alone (they will bring their spouse, friends, and/or family members).

Organizations can consider tying in a number of corporate sponsors to a birthday-incentive promotion (after all, who doesn't remember receiving a razor from the Army when they turned 18?):

• Retailers (Target, Best Buy, etc.) may be interested in offering such a promotion to target a general consumer base
• A company like Anheuser-Busch may be interested in rewarding consumers on their 21st birthday with a special admission/exclusive experience package
• Build-A-Bear may find it to be a great way to drive awareness for their products amongst young consumers and their families.
• Auto companies and life insurance firms may be interested in using such a promotional concept to target Baby Boomers.
• QSR's offering special discounts for senior citizens (senior coffee) may be interested in targeting an aging group of consumers

The Nuggets Go Ice, Ice Baby on 80's Night...

Is your organization looking for new ways to promote 80's night? Are you looking for new ways to deliver new game entertainment to your fanbase?

On Saturday night, the Denver Nuggets took 80's night to a whole new level... by bringing in Vanilla Ice to perform during halftime of the team's game against the New Orleans Hornets. The Nuggets paid a nominal fee for Rob Van Winkle aka Vanilla Ice to perform his hit Ice, Ice Baby (although the song was released in 1990).

Believe it or not, a number of groups - from one-hit wonders to consistent chart leaders - are available for in-game acts at reasonable rates (e.g. Afroman, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Vanilla Ice, etc.).

The Vanilla Ice halftime entertainment on Saturday night was a hit with Nuggets fans in attendance and drew a sizeable amount of media attention... Implementing similar acts is something to consider to enhance your '80s/'90s nights! Check out a portion of Vanilla Ice's in-game performance below:

Entertain Fans with Guinness World Record Attempts...

Are you looking for new ways to entertain fans between periods? Is your organization looking for new ways to break records throughout the season?

With the common understanding that fans love to see records be broken, has your organization consider ways that fans and/or players could attempt to set Guinness World Records during halftime/between periods?

For example, soccer organizations can look up and attempt to break/set records for:

• Most Touches in 1 Minute (Male/Female)
• Most Touches in One Minute with Head (Male/Female)
• Most Touches in 30 Seconds
• Most Goals Scored in One Minute
• Most Saves in One Minute

Where has this been done? Members of the 2008 NBA All-Star team attempted to set a Guiness World Record for the most halfcourt shots made in one (1) minute during a practice session. Check out the clips below: