Sponsorship Madness: Getting to Know our Championship Activations

The sponsorship space is finicky. Sometimes, it will seem as though the best, most creative activation concepts fall flat on their faces and garner almost no buzz for a brand. At the same time, a rather basic run-of-the-mill idea will explode, gaining a product, company, or partnership a mountain of exposure, almost out of nowhere. Sure, the process for those involved can be frustrating, but there is a silver lining: there is more than one way to bake the sponsored cake.

Take, for instance, our two finalists in the first annual Sponsorship Madness bracket, where a lesser-known bank and beer industry giant both partnered with National Hockey League (NHL) organizations to produce A+ activations. Both entities (First Bank and Budweiser) coincidentally involved in the same sport is where the similarities come to an end, as each company went down a path entirely foreign to the other. Ultimately, though, both got what they so emphatically sought, as the two activations proved to be value goldmines.

First Bank

When it comes to businesses that are synonymous with sports-related partnerships, First Bank is far down the list (no offense). The family-owned institution that offers business, commercial and personal banking (primarily out of Missouri, Illinois, and California) does not have the same brand name oomph that a Bud Light or Toyota does. Yet, a lack of in-house notoriety did anything but stop First Bank from making its mark on the activation game.

By partnering with the St. Louis Blues of the NHL, First Bank got its opportunity to present an in-game, look-a-like camera shown on the Blues’ jumbotron. According to NHL.com, the celebrity doppelganger game played during each St. Louis home game has been, “a staple to the in-game experience” for the previous 15 seasons. When considered only as an in-arena activation, First Bank’s return on investment would warrant, at worst, a pat on the back to the executives who made it happen. As estimated by our experts, the sponsored gimmick that airs at each Blues’ home game earned First Bank a low-five figure sum of value. Not bad.

But where this activation elevates far beyond even the dreams of the look-a-like camera’s biggest optimists is on social media. First, a Christmas-themed edition took off on SportsCenter’s twitter account, with First Bank’s presentation gaining over 400,000 views on the site. Then, the activation continued to crescendo, as a late-December Tik Tok of a separate edition went viral, prompting reposts across different platforms. NHL on ESPN’s repost, in particular, exploded, with more than 70 million (that’s million) views, including five million likes, on Youtube. SportsCenter uploaded the same clip to Facebook, where just under seven million views were tallied.

Budweiser

Like First Bank, Budweiser partnered with a hockey team and squeezed as much sponsorship-related value as possible through an in-game activation. 

A staple of the sports sponsor space, Budweiser created its own giveaway during a 2017 Washington Capitals Stanley Cup Playoff round, where the first 10,000 fans at Capital One Arena received reusable, goal light cups. Connected to a fan’s phone via Bluetooth, the cup lights up when the Capitals score a goal. The in-game promotional item was so popular and in such high demand that the same cups resold on eBay went for as much as $100. Eventually, Budweiser put the cups on sale for a much cheaper price, much to the benefit of consumers eager to get their hands on one without spending a boatload.

Simply put, the goal light cup is an ingenious, state-of-the-art activation that should be studied in partnership textbooks. The item is a constant value refresher, as the reusable nature of the product allows for renewed brand exposure for both Budweiser and the Capitals long after it is initially gifted/bought. Capitals supporters are likely to break out the cup for games back at home, renewing the connection between themselves and the partnership that delivered the novelty device.

While an estimate for the value of the goal light cup is harder to determine than the lookalike camera, it is reasonable to assume the Budweiser cups as a monster success. The company joins First Bank in the Sponsorship Madness Championship match for a clash of two activations that exemplified one simple concept: value maximization. There may not be a more unique, resourceful instance of each of First Bank and Budweisers’ activations in their own respective categories.

May the best partnership reign victorious! 
Vote for your favorite activation on LinkedIn and IG Story!
The winner will be announced Friday, April 8th.