For the past few decades, sponsors, along with any team marketer looking to pump up attendance, have been obsessed with a solitary issue of critical import: What’s the next bobblehead? Which premium could rival “nodders” as an attendance stimulant and for fan appeal?
What if the next-generation bobblehead turned out to be “your father’s mustache”? That’s what we were wondering after Denver Broncos sponsor University of Colorado Health distributed 75,000 faux orange mustaches at the Broncos-New England Patriots game Nov. 29. Aside from catalyzing countless mustachioed selfies from fans of both genders (including skier Lindsey Vonn, who tweeted one out) the fake orange whiskers helped establish a new, if trivial, world record: the most false mustaches worn at the same time and place. The old record of 2,268 was easily shaved.
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Orange mustaches were a hit for University of Colorado Health at a Broncos game.
Photo by: COURTESY OF PARAGON MARKETING
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Packaged with the Broncos mustaches were cards encouraging fans to get health screenings and a link through which those checkups could be scheduled. The stunt also dovetailed nicely with “Movember,” during which facial hair growth is promoted to raise awareness of various men’s health issues.
“It’s about having fun, but getting men to think about maintaining their health within that unique context and with the Broncos, which are the biggest sports platform in Colorado,” said Brad Smith, vice president at Paragon Marketing, UC Health’s sports marketing agency.
The mustache caper had its origins in a stunt Paragon engineered with UC Health Chief Marketing Officer Manny Rodriguez while he was vice president of sponsorships at Reliant Energy/NRG. To publicize solar energy, a record was established at a 2011 Texas Rangers game for the most sunglasses worn at night (more than 10,000 nocturnal shadewearers).
Seattle-based BDA produced the goods backing the “mass mustache event.” The bobblehead kingpin sourced and shipped the hirsute goods from China in less than a month. “We’ve done bobbleheads with facial hair, but this was a first,” said Steve Avanessian, BDA vice president of client services.
Even so, after a year in which BDA produced its most bobbleheads ever, the winner and still champion is … the original item.
“Bobbles are still the must-have item for sports,” Avanessian said, noting that baseball accounts for 85 percent of BDA’s nodder business. “We’ve done them with solar-powered components and with sound chips. You’re going to see a lot more bobble series telling stories next year, along with multiple bobbles on a single base.”
> BEER ON ICE: Labatt has signed a new sponsorship with the Philadelphia Flyers and a renewal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Each deal is three years and runs through the 2017-18 season.
The deal in Philadelphia includes two Labatt-branded bars at Wells Fargo Center and LED signage, along with digital and social media inventory. The Columbus pact includes the exclusive Canadian beer designation, a Labatt-branded bar at Nationwide Arena, dasherboards, scoreboard features, and digital and social inventory.
Labatt is leveraging with themed packaging, including logoed cans and 30-can team-logoed “Zamboni Packs.” Peter Stern’s The Strategic Agency handled for Labatt.
> COMINGS & GOINGS: Veteran sports marketer Bill Schoonmaker is departing the U.S. Lacrosse national governing body after more than seven years, during which he served as COO, and more recently as vice president of strategy and business development. Schoonmaker, whose agency experience includes stints with LeadDog Marketing, 361 Sports & Event Marketing and Prism, said he’s eager to return to the for-profit environment. … A few months after the abrupt departure of longtime NFL licensing director Tim Langley, the league has hired Nicole Pozzi as a director in consumer products. Pozzi was with WME-IMG Licensing for the past year; before that, she spent 11 years at the NFL Players Association in a variety of licensing jobs. … Ed Lynch departs USA Today Sports Marketing after four years to become head of business development for global production technology rental company Video Equipment Rentals. Lynch will be focused on growing VER’s business with leagues, networks, sports marketing, and event agencies. He will remain in Boston and work out of VER’s New York City and Boston offices, when not on the road.
Terry Lefton can be reached at tlefton@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
