Toppy Vann wrote:The Lions need to get back to that type of creative ad. Note that Rethinks ad got 147K views and a lot of very positive comments on youtube.
Weren't there more fans in those days too?
I think even the most fervent and jaded Rider fan would concede that the Bomber campaign is a pretty effective promotion, if for nothing else than creating buzz at a dead time of year.
As for Re-Think Toppy, IIRC the ads started 2003 with the fresh blood of Buono and company (we only averaged 21,370 that year). The first campaign was "You Belong In The Stands" to get people into the stadium. I did like their attention grabbing approach to draw focus on the brand, although I did find the ads at the time rather hit or miss (the never-seen-the-light-of-day hand stuck in a printing press anyone?). Over time, I (and others on the board like SammyGreene) wanted more attention drawn toward all the great players/personalities on the team (Clermont, Murphy, Dickenson, Johnson) instead of an ad campaign that frankly, had become a bit stale and started leaning more toward the abstract and esoteric.
I believe it's time for another change. "Pride" was okay, but it's too passive. There's no call to action. For some time, I've wanted a campaign that gets testimonials from passionate fans so the casual observer can sense that the Lions have a dedicated, committed fan base. Unfortunately, I noticed a few weeks ago that the Canucks are using this same approach! Instead then, I might do something where some of the key players (perhaps even Wally as he's so well known/respected) speak one-on-one into a camera about the love for the team that they feel when they are out volunteering in the community etc (the effect of which is two-fold).
DH