Oh, Geez: 2K Sports Using Hockey Moms In Ads For New NHL Game

Watch A Clip In The "Hockey Mom" Series

2K Sports is releasing their latest NHL game today, and the company's marketing campaign for the title "may have found the perfect middle ground: the hockey mom," according to Aaron Barr of MEDIAPOST. The campaign debuts with a 30-second spot, in which three women "portray 'The Hockey Moms,' who meet every Thursday in one of the moms' living rooms" to play "NHL 2K10." The women speak with "very flat upper Midwest accents, ... introduce themselves, share their lemon bar snacks and welcome their special guest," Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin, the game's cover athlete, joins the women "via the Wii Speak add-on." The hockey moms then "engage Ovechkin in a game of NHL2K10." Jason Norcross, the Creative Dir for 2K Sports' ad agency 72andSunny, L.A., said, "Ovechkin is one of those guys who's the life of the party. We thought it would be great to give the party a physical place." 2K Sports and 72andSunny are "hoping to extend the concept beyond the television." They are "at work creating longer-form online video of the Hockey Mom trio playing against other well-known hockey 'guests'" (MEDIAPOST.com, 9/14). EA Sports is also releasing its "NHL 10" videogame today (THE DAILY).

ANOTHER LIKENESS LAWSUIT: SPORTINGNEWS.com's Chris Littmann reported former Univ. of North Carolina OL Bryon Bishop has filed a lawsuit against EA Sports, the NCAA and Collegiate Licensing Co. over his likeness "being used without any compensation" in the videogame company's "NCAA Football" franchise. Littmann: "Based on the ways things have been going, I don't expect it's the last time we'll be touching this topic" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 9/14). Former Arizona State QB Sam Keller and UCLA F Ed O'Bannon earlier this year in separate lawsuits sued the NCAA and EA Sports over the use of their likenesses (THE DAILY).

BLAZER OF GLORY: Sony Computer Entertainment America yesterday announced that Trail Blazers G Brandon Roy will be the cover athlete for "NBA 10: The Inside." The videogame is scheduled to be released on October 6 (SCEA).