Selling for $12 apiece, the posters' net proceeds (about $6 each) go to the Blazers' charitable foundationTRAIL BLAZERS
For each home game since the start of last season, the Trail Blazers have "commissioned an artist from the Portland area to design a 12-inch-by-18-inch game-day poster," and they have "become some of the hottest collectibles in the Pacific Northwest," according to Scott Cacciola of the N.Y. TIMES. The art is "basically in the style of old rock concert posters." Each "includes the date of the game and the opponent, but the artwork is the star attraction." The posters have "ranged from playful to poignant." Just 110 posters are "printed for each home game -- all of them hand-numbered -- and they usually sell out." The posters "sell for $12 apiece, with the net proceeds -- about $6 per poster -- going to the team’s charitable foundation." But "even at the bargain-bin price, the Blazers have done an extraordinary job of making them feel like an exclusive item." While season-ticket holders have the "option of reserving them in advance, the posters are otherwise available for purchase only on game nights" inside Moda Center, as the Blazers "want fans to get to the arena early -- and they want them to shop." The posters were also an "easy way for the Blazers to tap into" Portland’s "vibrant artist community." Blazers CMO Dewayne Hankins: “We were overwhelmed by the amount of folks who had an interest in bringing this concept along." In exchange for their work, the artists "receive $315, two game tickets and visibility." The Blazers "feature the posters at the arena and on their social media accounts" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/16).
