The Canucks this year “have bought into virtual advertising on a test basis" with ads that appear "on the glass behind the nets" to TV viewers, according to Yvonne Zacharias of the VANCOUVER SUN. Canucks Sports & Entertainment COO Victor de Bonis said, “We think the experiment has been good so far. The sponsors that are participating have been very excited about it in terms of the exposure they are getting." But there has been “some trial and error in getting the new technology up and running.” De Bonis said that in the “first game the ads appeared, they dominated the screen because they were too big.” Zacharias noted the team “moved quickly to make the appearance softer so it blended in better with ads on the rink boards.” The Canucks will “continue to test the ads for the remainder of the season and then make a decision this summer on whether they want to continue next year.” The “green-screen technology definitely has some advantages over more traditional forms of advertising.” The ads “can't be missed by viewers who might take a break from their screens during regular commercials.” Univ. of British Columbia Saunder School of Business Assistant Marketing Professor Tim Silk said that another advantage is teams “can easily change them merely by switching a lens whereas ads along the boards are more of a permanent fixture.” Zacharias noted the Canucks have BCIT, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, Meyers Norris Penny and Joey's Restaurants “as advertisers using the green-screen technology.” The Flyers, Rangers, Red Wings, Blue Jackets, Senators and Capitals also are using virtual ads (VANCOUVER SUN, 3/31).
