Wave That Flag: NFL Wild Card Teams Ready With Activations

By Terry Lefton, Editor-at-Large

Buccaneers, Sponsors Bringing Back Battle Flags For Playoffs

Fans at this weekend’s NFL Wild Card games will be waving sponsored towels and flags to support their teams’ efforts to advance in the NFL postseason tourney. The Buccaneers, just three years removed from a Super Bowl title, are reprising a gimmick from that championship run by placing 2’-by-1.5’ “Buccaneer Battle Flags” on every seat in Raymond James Stadium for Saturday’s game against the Redskins. The flags, evenly split between red and white versions, are sponsored by top-level “pewter” team sponsors Hess and Miller Brewing. Miller also sponsored the original flags on behalf of its Miller Lite brand. Miller Lite and Hess also get mentions on the gameday program cover. “They were kind of good luck for us last time (a 31-6 playoff decision over the 49ers), so we thought we’d bring them back,” said Bucs Dir of Marketing & Business Development Jeff Ajluni. Ironically, since the flags are mounted on 16-inch wooden sticks, fans will not be permitted to bring them back into the stadium for subsequent games.

BENGALS: Both the Giants and Bengals are sticking to the traditional distribution method, handing out towels for their fans to wave. Cincinnati Bell sponsors the 65,000 towels being distributed at Sunday’s game versus the Steelers, the team that pioneered towels as a fan item with its “Terrible Towel” craze that originated during the Steelers’ first championship run in ‘75. Cincy Bell, presenting sponsor of the game, also gets a program cover mention and sponsors a pregame, on-field ball delivery, according to Vince Cicero, Bengals Dir of Corporate Sales & Marketing, who’s selling the team’s first home playoff game in 15 years.

GIANTS: For the Giants’ Sunday home game against the Panthers, Toyota, one of the team’s largest sponsors, is underwriting the distribution of 80,000 towels from McArthur, the biggest name in sports towels. As presenting sponsor of the game, Toyota also gets cover mentions on the Giants’ gameday program, and its Game Bill giveaway, as well as in its pub for suiteholders. “You want to make your sponsors and your fans feel just a little more special for a playoff game,” said Giants VP/Marketing Rusty Hawley.

PATS: Patriots Exec Dir of Media Relations Stacey James said he did not know of any giveaways slated for the Pats’ Saturday home playoff game against the Jaguars.