The Celtics have "unveiled a new, multimedia ad campaign that the team hopes will win back frustrated fans who may have lost interest after a long labor dispute delayed the NBA season," according to Johnny Diaz of the BOSTON GLOBE. The "I am a Celtic" campaign, which "features current stars and the team’s storied history, kicked off last week in advance of the shortened season." The campaign will "encompass television, radio, print, and online ads," and Harvard Business School professor Stephen A. Greyser said that it is "critical for the team as it tries to galvanize its fan base and maintain attendance at home games." The Celtics have sold out "209 consecutive home games, dating back to 2007." The campaign was designed by Massachusetts-based ad firm Allen & Gerritsen, which "has held the Celtics account for eight years." It was "inspired by coach Doc Rivers’s 'I am a Celtic' response last season when [he] was asked if he would return to the team." One TV spot, "called 'Causeway' shows players such as Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce on the court at the TD Garden as a series of statements unfold on the screen." Among them: "I am history," "I am the legend" with the commercial ending with "I am Causeway Street" and "I am home." Another spot, "called 'House,' features other players such as Ray Allen, and copy that reads 'I am in the Garden' and 'I am in my house.'" The spots are "tied together by the voice of Rivers saying 'I am a Celtic.'" The ads are airing on Comcast SportsNet New England (
BOSTON GLOBE, 12/14).
