NHL -- finally back witha bigger punch *(and a controversial one at that, scroll down for details)than ever ....as featured at THE BIG IDEA conference in NYC last month see more at (BRANDWEEK: The Next Big Idea Targets Branded Entertainment ) DOUBLEPLAY -- the convergence of sports and entertainment is a big topic of discussion today on the field and off or should we say with Hockey -- on the ice or off?
BRINGING THE NHL FANS BACK WITH CINEMATIC FORCE..
“We are bringing our fans back and reaching out to [casual] fans with our rule changes and a product that we feel is entertaining and compelling.” Doug Perlman, svp-television and media ventures for the NHLPerlman The NHL was in an interesting position because it did not play last season and hadn't been in the forefront of fan's minds daily according to Perlman's comments at the NYC conference.
CINEMATIC APPROACH IN NEW NHL MARKETING CAMPAIGN:
He talked about the NHL's new marketing campaign, via Conductor, New York and Santa Monica, Calif., which uses a cinematic approached to reach fans, and also how the league is working to establish a long-term relationship with sponsors and fans “in an era in which there are more [marketing] opportunities than ever and the fan base in all sports is becoming more fragmented. The campaign will use an entertainment-based, cinematic approach to reveal the "true, adrenalin-fueled DNA of the NHL brand, reigniting the passion of existing fans and attracting new fans to rethink the sport," the league said in a statement as noted in a recent MEDIAWEEK report.
NHL ADS IN THEATRES TOO Adweek's September 22 story explains that: The National Hockey League has unveiled its new television promotional spots for the upcoming season, which Commissioner Gary Bettman said will air locally, regionally, on national television, and in movie theaters. The innovative campaign is institutional in nature, depicting "the hockey experience" in a series of five vignettes. The goal of the campaign, according to Ed Horne, president of NHL Enterprises, is to bring viewers "inside the glass" of the rink, to show them the sights, sounds and excitement of the game.
CONDUCTOR (NHL's entertainment and brand marketing company) SAYS THAT CAMPAIGN IS "CINEMATIC STORYTELLING" ...a new way to look at Hockey...
In Adweek, Tim Cotton, president of Conductor, the entertainment and brand marketing company that developed and produced the spots, says the campaign is "cinematic storytelling" aimed at bringing to viewers "a new way to look at the sport." MTV DIRECTOR FOR NHL SPOTS: The NHL TV spots were directly by Sam Bayer, a recent MTV Music Awards video winner.
CONTROVERSY HITS NHL ADS IN FACE...according to www.adrants.com -- check this out: "NHL AD Called Gratuitous"

In September, Ad Rants reported that an ad for the upcoming NHL season which opens with a Chinese philosopher's quote, a bare-chested player and a woman in a bra and robe has been called offensive by Chairwoman of the National Council of Women's Organizations Martha Burk. Responding to NHL spokeswoman Bernadette Mansur's assessment the spot simply portrays the woman as the man's spiritual trainer, Burk said, "That's a major stretch. The woman is a sexual ornament, in my view. It's appealing to adult men while trying to masquerade as something for kids." AD RANTS SAYS: The ad, which is hardly gratuitous and carries the tagline, "My NHL,"The ad can be viewed on the homepage of NHL.com." Read more about the ads in a recent USA TODAY story...USATODAY.com - League dons warrior makeup for ad pitch
SO DID IT ALL WORK-- see what MSNBC HAS TO SAY: NHL gets boost from new rules, new players
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