The NHL and Jägermeister are extending their partnership after an initial one-year deal that will see the brand remain the official shot of the NHL. Terms of the pact were not disclosed, but Jägermeister will continue to have a footprint at NHL tentpole events such as the Winter Classic, Stadium Series and All-Star Weekend. Additionally, it will activate across retail, digital and social channels. NHL Group VP/Partnership Marketing Evin Dobson said that Jägermeister's designation as the official shot of the NHL has been the foundation for the deal to date. That has included creative distributed via social media along with recurring branded content segments on NHL Network, which Dobson noted is the "most visible place" fans will see the official shot branding.
SUCCESSFUL TRIAL RUN: The initial one-year deal was a sponsorship model that the NHL does not typically deploy, Dobson said, but with the uniqueness of the official shot creative and the "designation with the double entendre and play-on-words," the league felt it was appropriate to be conservative with the term length. He explained that for any new league-wide partner, the top objective normally is awareness. That was similar to Jägermeister a year ago, which according to Dobson, is in the midst of redefining its brand in a more premium way. Mast-Jägermeister U.S. CMO Chris Peddy said, "Our partnership has been seamless for both long standing brand fans and NHL consumers, which makes our continued collaboration with the NHL so exciting." Jägermeister this season added five team partnerships to bring its total local affiliations to 10, including the Bruins, Flyers, Blues, Wild, Sabres, Rangers, Lightning, Stars, Golden Knights and Predators.
