Promo - February 2008 - (Page 22)

Richard Te desco EXPERIENTIAL Big Game in Big Easy NBA mounts All-Star relief in New Orleans When the National Basketball Association decided to hold its All-Star Game in New Orleans this month, the league realized it had to be more than an extended photo op in a picturesque locale. So when the league drew up activation plans with 20 corporate sponsors for the game, it determined to give that recovering city something more than just a high-profile basketball exhibition. The result is several days of sponsored projects preceding the annual NBA tilt to help restore the city still slowly rebuilding from the floods of Hurricane Katrina. Dubbed the Jam Session, the event will give 100,000 fans a chance to interact with the All-Star sponsors and their products. The 400,000-square-foot exhibit space full of activities for fans in the days preceding the game on Feb. 17 will be located in the city’s convention center, which sheltered evacuees in the days following the 2005 natural disaster. “It’s been a season-long effort for the New Orleans community,” notes Mark Tatum, NBA senior vice president of marketing partnerships. “By having our partners involved in such a big way, it’s taken this to a whole new level.” Toyota is presenting sponsor of Hands on New Orleans, a day of building and refurbishing projects on the Friday before the game that will bring the All-Star players into New Orleans neighborhoods. Toyota also will sponsor an effort to rebuild homes in the city’s Fremont District that day. Toyota Project Rebound, an initiative launched earlier this season with the NBA and WNBA, already has been rebuilding basketball courts in New Orleans and other cities. Also on Hands on New Orleans day, Spalding is sponsoring a court upgrade in the Big Easy and donating balls and equipment to other city parks and recreations projects. First-time All-Star sponsor Cisco is funding refurbishment of 10 recovery district resource centers in the city and providing computer hardware for 30 locations. It will also underwrite five Jefferson Parish resource centers. Midway will refurbish a basketball court and Singular will sponsor construction of an asthma-friendly house as part of the NBA All-Star Habitat for Humanity build. Adidas, presenting sponsor of the fan-oriented Jam Session, will build a playground with Kaboom! and refurbish a basketball court at Central City’s Mahalia Jackson School on the day of service. Adidas has a major presence at the Jam Session in the form of a 17,000-square foot exhibit with a full-length basketball court, video games on Xbox 360 units and, of course, Adidas products. “It’s a huge consumer event,” says Travis Gonzolez, a spokesperson for Adidas basketball. “It definitely adds a lot of value and gives people exposure to our brand.” On another front, Sprite will make a $50,000 donation to the Boys and Girls Club of New Orleans as part of its title sponsorship of the Slam Dunk contest. As NBA All-Star balloting sponsor, T-Mobile is donating $1 for every vote cast in its retail stores or online to the New Orleans Recovery School District. A “Vote for Your Faves” sweepstakes will give one fan a chance to go to the game with his or her “Five Fave” friends. Anheuser-Busch will hold two “Jersey Off Your Back” raffles at Hornets home games, with proceeds to benefit New Orleans’ Build Together project. Anheuser-Busch also is running a contest for a trip for two to the game. Haier and 2K are running similar contests. McDonald’s is running a promotion offering 10 winners trips to the game with a guest. A new wrinkle to the All-Star Game festivities, fans will be able to choose the winner of the Sprite Slam Dunk by voting with text messages and online at NBA.com. Sprite will air TV spots to build fan awareness about the voting. Interactive polling suggests the NBA’s desire to draw younger fans. But Tatum says the NBA is merely solicHornets guard Chris Paul snaps off a pass during last year’s PlayStation Skills Challenge. 22 February 2008 / WWW.PROMOMAGAZINE .COM / Promo http://NBA.com http://www.promomagazine.com

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Promo - February 2008 Contents Editor's Note Reality TV Products Rebound - Soon? The Real World Young But Not Stupid Social Tease Health Quencher How Effective? Big Game in Big Easy Commentary Mailbox Marketing Q&A: Coke's Kruse Control Gift-Card Monte Room Service The Agency Center Resource Center Can't Beat Loyalty Index of Advertisers

Promo - February 2008

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