The Heat are reprising their “White Hot Heat” marketing theme used during the ’06 NBA playoffs for this year’s playoff run, according to Sarah Talalay of the South Florida SUN-SENTINEL. Heat fans again “will be encouraged to wear white not just to games, but to the office or school.” All seats at AmericanAirlines Arena will bear white seat covers with the logo of playoff sponsor Miccosukee Resort & Gaming, and the team will distribute White Hot T-shirts at the first home game of each playoff series. Other giveaways include white pom-poms that light up. Also, Heat apparel featuring “updated logos and in new styles will be for sale.” A playoff Web site, whitehotheat.com, launches Friday and will allow fans “to upload photos and videos of themselves in White Hot gear.” Heat Exec VP & CMO Michael McCullough estimates the campaign costs $175,000-$300,000, “depending on the length of the playoff run.” NBA Senior VP/Team Marketing & Business Operations Scott O’Neil said that last year, the Heat’s theme was “‘all the buzz,’ particularly since it went far beyond fans wearing white T-shirts.” Talalay notes the Magic and Rockets are also “sporting color-based playoff themes this year” (SUN-SENTINEL, 4/19).
