NHL Partners Fill The Stanley Cup With Post-Season Marketing Campaigns
By Barry Janoff
April 25, 2017: With the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs second round beginning on April 26, NHL corporate partners are leveraging the post-season to “engage millions of hockey fans in more ways than ever before.”
The league said its full roster of partners is activating across a myriad of channels, including TV creative, digital, social media, POP, in-arena and other fan activation that "showcase new product offerings and once-in-a-lifetime experiences to hockey fans in the U.S. and Canada."
Among the hockey-themed creative are campaigns from Geico, Molson Canadian, Discover, PepsiCo (Pepsi, Lay’s, Doritos), SAP, Bridgestone, Reese’s, Scotiabank, Canadian Tire, Honda Canada and first-year league partners PPG Paints and Sonnet Home & Auto Insurance.
"The Stanley Cup Playoffs represent the very best of our game and capture the extraordinary passion of NHL fans," Brian Jennings, NHL chief brand officer and evp, said in a statement. "And for our partners, the playoffs provide the perfect opportunity for deeper engagement and emotional connections with their brand during the most exciting and unpredictable playoffs in sports."
The NHL and its partners have reason to celebrate moving forward in this post-season.
According to NBC Sports Group, "On the strength of a record 18 overtime games, dazzling performances by young stars like Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid, and side-by-side coverage for the first time in local markets, this was the most-watched first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2014 (753,000 viewers), despite no Game 7 match-ups for the first time since the 2001 post-season. In addition, the 2017 first round featured five Canadian teams compare to no Canadian teams last season."
Games are airing on NBC, NBCSN and NHL Network, USA Network and CNBC in the U.S. and Sportsnet, CBC, Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet 360 in Canada.
Among the on-going and new campaigns:
Geico has commercials with Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron, including "Build Up" and "Win Win."
Gatorade has a spot with Patrick Kane, "Smooth Finish," as part of its new Flow campaign.
Enterprise’s "All the Places Life Takes Martin Brodeur" campaign features the former goalie in a series of humorous TV spots and digital shorts
PPG Paints colors its first Stanley Cup Playoffs with the "Character of Champion" TV ad featuring the trophy and longtime Keeper of the Cup, Phil Pritchard.
"The Day With The Cup" series, presented by Discover, has returned, with Discover offering a youth hockey player a visit with the Stanley Cup.
At POP, Molson Canadian is offering hockey fans in Canada the chance to collect seven mini replica trophies of the Stanley Cup with the purchase of a case; PepsiCo’s Pepsi, Lay’s and Doritos brands hit shelves in the U.S. with Stanley Cup-themed products and a "Snack Your Way to the Championchips" slogan; and Reese’s is offering consumers in Canada who find a Stanley Cup-wrapped Reese Peanut Butter Cup the opportunity to win a trip for two to the 2017 Stanley Cup Champions’ home opener and banner-raising ceremony in October.
Scotiabank, in conjunction with Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, the NHL and Project North this week will deliver 150 bags of new hockey equipment and "an unforgettable experience with the Stanley Cup"to several communities in northern Canada.
Upper Deck this month unveiled the first series of its Grandeur Hockey Coin Collection, a limited-edition collection (6,600 total) featuring the images of Wayne Gretzky, Patrick Roy, Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and 16 other NHL stars.
The collection includes 1 oz. 99.99% pure silver coins available in three finishes and rarities: colored, numbered to 5,000: high-relief silver, numbered to 1,000; and silver frosted, numbered to 500, per player. There is also a more rare ¼ oz. 99.99% 24 karat gold minted coin, numbered to just 100, per player.
The NHL is running a multi-platform campaign to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Stanley Cup, calling it "the most coveted trophy in sports." The league also has been celebrating its 100th anniversary with a multi-platform campaign.
NHL sponsor spend is expected to approach $500 million this season, up from a record $477 million in 2016-16, according to research and consulting firm IEG, Chicago.
Back to Home Page