Fan development is the goal of the NFL's '99-2000 "Feel
the Power" campaign, as Courtney Kane of the N.Y. TIMES
reports that the NFL is looking at "reinforcing ties with
so-called core fans, most of whom are men, and gaining the
attention of those known as casual fans, many of whom are
women, children, teen-agers and 20-somethings." The
campaign, created in-house by NFLP, will run on ABC, CBS,
ESPN, ESPN2, Fox and a satellite package on DirecTV. NFLP
Senior VP/Marketing & Fan Development Howard Handler said
that focus group research showed that fans wanted to learn
"how football gained its reputation and status as an
American classic and 'where the teams and the players and
the styles of today stack up relative to' what came before."
As a result, the league developed the "Time Warp" series,
which features four spots that aim to create "a virtual
scrapbook," according to Handler. The first spot in the
series, called "Styling," is running now and features an
"endless, passionate debate between two barbers and their
customers about who was the greatest running back ever." A
complementary series, "Common Denominator," features both
contemporary and past players. One spot from that series
currently running features the song "Hair" from the well-
known Broadway musical and shows off the various hair styles
of NFL players -- past and present (N.Y. TIMES, 9/24).
Handler said with the millennium approaching, the league is
"decidedly looking back to look forward" (Andy Bernstein,
SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/20 issue).
