A couple of really good examples of sponsorship activations
We’re coming on 12 months of COVID. There is no “new normal”…it’s just normal. No industry has been spared the need to adapt how they do things. For some it has been fairly minor while for others it has been far more difficult. Rights holders across sport, arts, and entertainment have been scrambling to ensure that they continue to deliver value to sponsors during a period of time when it has been extremely difficult to deliver on rights that were negotiated before the world had to worry about social distancing and mask wearing.
As part of the sponsorship industry it’s been tough to watch (and experience) the loss in events but objectively it has provided some remarkable examples of what can be achieved. Everyone has a list of their favourite, and here is mine.
NHL Lake Tahoe Games
No fans, no stadiums…every league’s worst nightmare. The NHL have taken the opportunity to draw on hockey fans’ nostalgia by taking the Professionals back to “pond hockey” and will be staging two regular season games on the shore of Lake Tahoe.
Anyone who has watched sport in empty stadiums over the last 12 months knows that there is something obviously missing. Leagues have tried to overcome this with piped in crowd noise and either cardboard fan cutouts or sponsor branding but these do little to mask the fact that the atmosphere isn’t the same. By taking the game outside the NHL is able to deliver something new and unique to sponsors while also delivering a viewing experience that fans will no doubt enjoy.
Cerveza Pilsner: The Stand(out)
Another brand that focused on the lack of fans in stadiums was beer brand Cerveza Pilsner. Cerveza is the official beer brand of the Ecuadorian Football League and with no fans in stadiums they found a way to bring fans to the game so that they could cheer their home team on in person. Cheering from home just isn’t the same.
Many of the Ecuadorian stadiums are surrounded by tall buildings. Cerveza took over some of these, erecting terrace and roof top boxes from which fans could watch the games while enjoying an ice cold Cerveza Pilsner. A simple idea that took a bit of creative thinking and willingness to make something unusual happen.
Many of the Ecuadorian stadiums are surrounded by tall buildings. Cerveza took over some of these, erecting terrace and roof top boxes from which fans could watch the games while enjoying an ice cold Cerveza Pilsner. A simple idea that took a bit of creative thinking and willingness to make something unusual happen.
ALDI & RASHFORD’S ‘HUNGER MONSTER’ CAMPAIGN PLEDGES 10M MEALS TO UK FAMILIES
As a Man United fan there may be some bias in this last one, but you can’t help but be a fan of the initiative between Marcus Rashford and Aldi (the German owned supermarket chain). During the COVID pandemic there was a marked increase in child hunger in the UK, sparking this campaign which pledged to donate 10 million meals to families in need in 2021.
As part of the campaign an animated spot was released, narrated by Rashford, looking at hunger through the eyes of a child. A simple activation but one that really drives the point home, proving that a great idea doesn’t need a million-dollar budget to drive engagement. If the Hunger Monster doesn’t stir your emotions, then I’m not sure what will.