NHL & mono Entice New Stanley Cup Viewers

After a weekend of blowouts and another upset, the Final Four is set and the nation is watching as they head for Atlanta. But NBC along with the NHL are making a play for American viewers to start thinking about something more than basketball this week. 

 

Every game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be televised in the U.S. for only the second year in a row this spring through an agreement between the NHL and NBC. And they are working with creative agency mono to make the two-month event a must-watch for American as well as Canadian viewers – from the casual to the most-loyal fans.

 

The campaign, which is the first to come from mono for the NHL, builds on the success of last year’s campaign to entice old and new fans with five new TV spots (two launching this week) that take an authentic look at hockey both on and off the ice, highlighting the most memorable and meaningful NHL moments from the past few seasons. In a play to reach casual fans (who may view hockey as an insider sport) as well as loyal fans, the campaign celebrates what makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs universal and approachable as well as unique – from a high level of speed, intensity and unpredictability to the unusual traditions and rituals, athleticism and tenacity, eccentric player and fan personalities, and prestigious history and legacy.

 

 

 

The five new anthem TV spots – rolling out in the weeks leading up to the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with two debuting this week and three more released mid-month – take a fresh approach to the brand’s tagline ‘Because It’s the Cup’, combining it with the invitation: “It’s Time…” The two spots debuting this week include:

 

- It’s time for first kiss jitters. Highlights the nerves that everyone has felt, followed by the moment when the winning players kiss the Cup.

- It’s time to get weird. The Stanley Cup Playoffs brings out the best and the most fanatical in fans. This spot shows the traditions, the rituals, the fun and the passion that electrifies arenas during games.

 

The five TV spots will air across NBC Universal networks, CBC, TSN, RDS, NHL Network and 40 regional sports networks. In addition, the campaign will include digital display and banner ads on NHL.com, all 30 NHL team sites, Yahoo! Sports and NBCUniversal.

 

As part of a 10-year agreement between the NHL and NBC that started last year, U.S. fans have access to watch every Stanley Cup Playoffs game live, as the games will be televised across four different national networks: NBC, NBC Sports Network, CNBC and NHL Network.

 

Credits

 

Client: NHL and NBC

Agency: mono