2015 All Things Lions Marketing & Promotions

The Place for BC Lion Discussion. A forum for Lions fans to talk and chat about our team.
Discussion, News, Information and Speculation regarding the BC Lions and the CFL.
Prowl, Growl and Roar!

Moderator: Team Captains

Locked
User avatar
sj-roc
Hall of Famer
Posts: 7539
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 2:39 pm
Location: Kerrisdale

Speaking of UBC in the Canadian QBs thread (and this thread is the better place to raise the point I'm about to make), first time ever I've seen CIS athletes appear in advertising in Canadian media. I'm talking about the T-Birds appearing in a garden hose ad for Canadian Tire.

Two stories from the Ubyssey, UBC's student newspaper:

Canadian Tire’s new ad stars the T-Bird football team
Canadian Tire’s new ad stars the T-Bird football team
By: Jack Hauen May 2, 2015, 4:57pm PDT


Canadian Tire commercials have always had a flair of Canadiana to them — as well they should, the country is in the name. Their newest commercial uses members of the UBC football team to show just how durable a polyurethane garden hose is.

The ad has familiar faces like Terrell and Marcus Davis, Callum Williamson, A. J. Blackwell and Dallas Yassinsky (among others) stomping the hose with cleats, bending it in ice baths and stretching it as far as it’ll go, which should be pretty good exposure for the team. We just hope rivals don’t use it to trash talk us in the future — I can hear the “hosers” jokes already.
Behind the scenes of Canadian Tire’s Thunderbirds ad
Behind the scenes of Canadian Tire’s Thunderbirds ad
By: Koby Michaels May 14, 2015, 5:55pm PDT


Canadian Tire’s latest TV ad campaign features UBC’s Thunderbird Stadium and Thunderbird football stars Terrell and Marcus Davis, Callum Williamson, A. J. Blackwell, Dallas Yassinsky and others.

How did UBC land such cinematic gold?

“It was originally approached as a venue rental,” said Kavie Toor, the Facilities and Business Development Director for UBC’s Athletics and Recreation department.
Advertisement

Canadian Tire was looking to rent the stadium to shoot their garden hose ad and contacted UBC’s football program. But the opportunity was too good to pass up on and Canadian Tire and UBC athletics entered into talk to partner for the TV spot.

Toor said that the ad, along with other Thunderbird partnerships like the Whitecaps and BC Lions, are the result of long negotiation processes and countless hours of behind the scenes work.

“It was an interesting experience,” said Callum Williamson, an offensive linesman for the Thunderbirds and an actor in the ad. “I figured that the directors would know exactly how they wanted the commercial to look before we even showed up but that wasn’t really the case. About 80 per cent of our time was used for rehearsing.”

Williamson also said everything had to be shot twice, as there was a separate ad produced in French.

Toor and the university had other interests beyond it being an interesting experience for the players. Canadian Tire paid the athletics department and the athletes for the facility and their time, but UBC would not disclose the exact amount and Canadian Tire did not respond to a request for an interview. Toor estimated that the TV spot had over $1.5 million in advertising value for the university and the football program.

Beyond the monetary value, Toor said the partnership is part of a much larger effort by the university and the athletic’s department to grow UBC sports. Be it with Canadian Tire, the Vancouver Whitecaps or the BC Lions, UBC is looking to expand the Thunderbirds as a brand. Toor said these partnerships are a sign of things to come.

“Nothing to report on yet but of course we continue to be active on a number of fronts,” said Toor of upcoming partnerships. “There is stuff coming…. We are at the initial stages of exploring other partnerships opportunities and expect that sometime later this year.”

So stay tuned.
English version of ad:
[video][/video]

French version:
[video][/video]

Good on UBC and the Thunderbirds for getting run like this, but consider what a coup it would have been for the Lions had they been the ones featured in this ad and getting the exposure. Since being uploaded less than a month ago on CT's youtube channel, the two videos have together garnered about 320k views, 265k for the English version alone. Looking through the video listings page on their channel, I'd say that ranked by views it's in the top 5% of all the videos they've uploaded in the last two years (something like 800 of them, a lot of which are under 10k and even 1k views). By comparison, the Lions' own Shuffle video that went viral in September 2013, over a year and a half ago, is currently around 81k views, most of which came in the first week or two after upload.

There's been a whisper or two on this board that the Whitecaps are doing a better overall marketing job than the Lions but here it seems even the T-Birds have won at least this particular battle.

I don't know whether they've already tried to do so, but perhaps the Lions ought to consider pitching their Surrey practice facility and players as a backdrop for advertisers to film similar promotions. Maybe a Tim Horton's ad? Just thinking out loud here as they're already a sponsor (I know there was an ad a couple years ago with Al Wilson and Angus Reid — did it ever run anywhere besides on the BCP video board during games?).

Now, I'm not saying an ad like this would suddenly vault the Lions to the forefront of the public consciousness and send everyone scrambling to snap up season tickets — and I'm not sure this particular ad will even do much for attendance at T-Bird Stadium considering that they don't even play for several months, by which time the buzz from this ad will have likely cooled — but surely some good would come from the increased visibility, and then you have to build on that. As the second article above notes, UBC is working on leveraging this ad into further partnership opportunities.
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
User avatar
David
Team Captain
Posts: 9364
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2002 10:23 am
Location: Vancouver (Kitsilano)

One of the added benefits of watching the CFL draft is seeing for the first time TV ad campaigns of the other CFL teams. Did not see a BC ad this year. I thought the Tiger-Cats had the best one (Montreal's was quite good too). Grade: A.

What makes this work is that it's less about exploits on the field, and more about fan and player engagement, everyone having fun at the game, and a catchy tune that's almost Coldplay-ish.

[video][/video]



DH :cool:
Roar, You Lions, Roar
User avatar
Lions4ever
Hall of Famer
Posts: 3430
Joined: Wed Oct 02, 2002 7:25 pm
Location: Vancouver Island

What are they saying?

The Ti -Cats are humming?

Is that it?

Not quite EAT 'EM RAW!!
User avatar
Shi Zi Mi
Hall of Famer
Posts: 4360
Joined: Wed Oct 02, 2002 6:06 pm
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Ticats are Hummin' performed by the Arkells.....played after every Ticat TD
Lloyd
User avatar
SammyGreene
Team Captain
Posts: 8079
Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2002 11:52 am

David wrote:One of the added benefits of watching the CFL draft is seeing for the first time TV ad campaigns of the other CFL teams. Did not see a BC ad this year. I thought the Tiger-Cats had the best one (Montreal's was quite good too). Grade: A.

What makes this work is that it's less about exploits on the field, and more about fan and player engagement, everyone having fun at the game, and a catchy tune that's almost Coldplay-ish.

[video][/video]



DH :cool:
The ReThink ads had certainly run their course but at least it was something it look forward to as part of the season launch. Now there appears to be nothing.
TheLionKing
Hall of Famer
Posts: 25103
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Vancouver

Under the leadership of Dennis Skulsky the BC Lions are the biggest secret in town. A couple of weeks before training camp, you would think they would flood the local media with ads.
User avatar
sj-roc
Hall of Famer
Posts: 7539
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 2:39 pm
Location: Kerrisdale

David wrote:One of the added benefits of watching the CFL draft is seeing for the first time TV ad campaigns of the other CFL teams. Did not see a BC ad this year. I thought the Tiger-Cats had the best one (Montreal's was quite good too). Grade: A.

What makes this work is that it's less about exploits on the field, and more about fan and player engagement, everyone having fun at the game, and a catchy tune that's almost Coldplay-ish.

[video][/video]



DH :cool:
Didn't watch the draft coverage so I missed this. I don't care all that much for the music but that's besides the point; I don't presume my tastes to be widely held. The video is in keeping with what I have been saying for ages: you have to sell the fans on what they're missing from sitting at home on their couches. Thumbs up.

Now what they need to do, and this is another one of my long-standing grievances and one that I'm not alone in holding, is run ads like this OUTSIDE of CFL programming. Even on other networks besides TSN. To run ads like this during draft coverage, you're just preaching to the choir. You need to engage and build brand awareness with casual fans who are tuned in to OTHER programming, people who aren't necessarily awaiting the start of the season with bated breath and have plenty of other entertainment options thrust upon them on a daily basis. You can't expect the media to do it for you in a sports landscape where CFL press conferences get interrupted over breaking NHL developments; you have to do it yourself.
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
User avatar
sj-roc
Hall of Famer
Posts: 7539
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 2:39 pm
Location: Kerrisdale

TheLionKing wrote:Under the leadership of Dennis Skulsky the BC Lions are the biggest secret in town. A couple of weeks before training camp, you would think they would flood the local media with ads.
DS's presidency of the Lions has been a widely held bone of contention on this board. We've also increasingly been reminded by sports business analyst Tom Mayenknecht in the last year or so that the Whitecaps are threatening to usurp the Lions as the #2 sports property in this market.

So imagine my surprise this afternoon, when I came across this somewhat old, rather obscure youtube video below. I say obscure because as of this writing, since it was uploaded on May 6, 2010 — over five years ago now, shortly after DS's hiring — it's garnered a measly **28** views. And that figure includes me today. I didn't think it was possible to have such sparse viewership for a 5yo video. Heck, this post alone might actually help push it up around 100 in the next few days.

Anyway, this video presents five reasons why Skulsky's hiring as president & CEO could at the time be considered "a coup" for the BC Lions and the CFL, which would come across rather ironic to this board's readership five years later. For added irony, the person arguing these points is none other than — you guessed it — Tom Mayenknecht. The same guy who now claims the Lions are slipping to #3 in this market.

[video][/video]

Screenshot of viewer stats below. Those numbers up the axis on the left are not 0.6k, etc or anything like that, but literally 0.6 and so on, without multiplier. Each of those vertical green sticks is one single view, except the taller one is two views.

Image

Not sure who this Ryan McNamee fellow is, on whose channel this video appears. But he seems to be (or was?) somehow affiliated with TM and/or his The Sport Market show, as his channel has a lot of TM/TSM content, all of which is at least two years old, with viewership not much better than this one. Although, I found another couple of interesting videos therein that I'll post a little later on in another thread.
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
TheLionKing
Hall of Famer
Posts: 25103
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Vancouver

Wonder if Mayenknecht still feels Skulsky is still a good hire ?
User avatar
Toppy Vann
Hall of Famer
Posts: 9789
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2005 12:56 pm

I don't think Dennis Skulsky is a marketer any more than I am but it's also an entire CFL culture issue. They got the media deal and growing the game is not what they seem to be about.

Just the litany of stars and history of the game where they could use these voices to market seems lacking. Linking the past to the present and linking current players to the community and business here more is what I think the league needs more of.

The game is too important to be left in the hands of old football people to paraphrase a quote about war and generals.

By the way the Lions marketing job is closer to being simpler with the upper bowl on the verge of history for regular season games. They can now just market to the income segment Skulsky's studies suggested was their go to game fan base!

The one really, really weird thing about the CFL versus soccer is how they moved the games to summer such that the fans are off doing other things. Soccer across the globe at top league level just extended their seasons from September back to August starts something that the CFL should be doing BUT their TSN deal might mess up.
"Ability without character will lose." - Marv Levy
User avatar
sj-roc
Hall of Famer
Posts: 7539
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 2:39 pm
Location: Kerrisdale

TheLionKing wrote:Wonder if Mayenknecht still feels Skulsky is still a good hire ?
Even five years ago the 'Caps supposed overtaking of the Lions might have been TM's ulterior motive right from the get-go, and for the Lions to die as Don Taylor mentioned 2-3 months ago in heated remarks on 1040.

So all along, he might have been touting DS as a good hire for these reasons and camouflaging it with his corporate-speak LOL.
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
User avatar
sj-roc
Hall of Famer
Posts: 7539
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 2:39 pm
Location: Kerrisdale

Toppy Vann wrote:I don't think Dennis Skulsky is a marketer any more than I am but it's also an entire CFL culture issue. They got the media deal and growing the game is not what they seem to be about.

Just the litany of stars and history of the game where they could use these voices to market seems lacking. Linking the past to the present and linking current players to the community and business here more is what I think the league needs more of.

The game is too important to be left in the hands of old football people to paraphrase a quote about war and generals.

By the way the Lions marketing job is closer to being simpler with the upper bowl on the verge of history for regular season games. They can now just market to the income segment Skulsky's studies suggested was their go to game fan base!

The one really, really weird thing about the CFL versus soccer is how they moved the games to summer such that the fans are off doing other things. Soccer across the globe at top league level just extended their seasons from September back to August starts something that the CFL should be doing BUT their TSN deal might mess up.
With you there. The league, but the Lions especially, seem to be too content with merely exploiting the current fanbase and slightly concerned about growing it.
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
User avatar
JohnHenry
Champion
Posts: 841
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2012 10:46 pm
Location: Crescent Beach

The Sun did a comprehensive survey during 2015 Super Bowl week to gauge the fan support for each local team. The Canucks came out on top with the Lions far ahead of the Seahawks and Whitecaps:

HARDCORE FANS:
B.C. Lions 10%
Whitecaps 3%

REGULAR FANS
B.C. Lions 20%
Whitecaps 12%

OCCASIONAL FOLLOWER
B.C. Lions 22%
Whitecaps 22%

NOT A FOLLOWER AT ALL
B.C. Lions 37%
Whitecaps 54%

---------------------------------

AGE 18-34 HARDCORE FANS
B.C. Lions 5%
Whitecaps 3%

AGE 35-54 HARDCORE FANS
B.C. Lions 13%
Whitecaps 3%

AGE 55+ HARDCORE FANS
B.C. Lions 11%
Whitecaps 2%

AGE 18-34 REGULAR FANS
B.C. Lions 16%
Whitecaps 8%

AGE 18-34 OCCASIONAL FOLLOWERS
B.C. Lions 18%
Whitecaps 25%

AGE 18-34 NOT A FOLLOWER AT ALL
B.C. Lions 53%
Whitecaps 59%

Image

Here is the full Sun article: http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2015/01/2 ... ions-poll/
User avatar
B.C.FAN
Team Captain
Posts: 12579
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2004 10:28 pm

JohnHenry wrote:The Sun did a comprehensive survey during 2015 Super Bowl week to gauge the fan support for each local team. The Canucks came out on top with the Lions far ahead of the Seahawks and Whitecaps
Yes, and the Angus Reid poll that was published in The Province just before Grey Cup had similar numbers, with the CFL enjoying a wide edge in support over MLS in B.C.
http://lionbackers.com/bc_lions/viewtop ... =2&t=27938
User avatar
Toppy Vann
Hall of Famer
Posts: 9789
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2005 12:56 pm

B.C.FAN wrote:
JohnHenry wrote:The Sun did a comprehensive survey during 2015 Super Bowl week to gauge the fan support for each local team. The Canucks came out on top with the Lions far ahead of the Seahawks and Whitecaps
Yes, and the Angus Reid poll that was published in The Province just before Grey Cup had similar numbers, with the CFL enjoying a wide edge in support over MLS in B.C.
http://lionbackers.com/bc_lions/viewtop ... =2&t=27938
It's unquestionable that football makes for a better game on TV for viewers than soccer UNLESS you are a hard core real soccer person who knows the game and is a fan of top EPL or other European teams - then you'll watch Chelsea, Man U, Man City, Liverpool, Bayern, Barco etc as you know the game and know the players and want to be ready for your World Cup bracket and need to know what national teams and players are up, down or injured, etc.

Football is a better game on TV as it allows for replays and big plays with exciting moments versus soccer. And TSN have over the years kept improving their coverage and the panel members and commentators know the game and the players and coaches better than the NFL commentators could ever know.

We knock TSN's Rod Black for his play commentary (Not me - I'm a fan) but the stories and the conversations these guys have at the walk thrus can't be matched in the larger NFL where it's more corporate, statistical and distant from players and coaches. Even the CFL side line interviewers know the players far more than the professionals can know down south.

And therein lies the problem for the CFL. Who needs to go to the game when if you stay home you might get a double header!!!

Also the SMS allows team to make it in the 30,000 range something that the Lions could do if they simply and over the next year increase the price per seat in the lower bowl and move it towards the coveted Canuck seat price and those guys have over 40 home dates to fill.

Like I say fans. Be careful what you wish for OR you'll be priced out of the market.
"Ability without character will lose." - Marv Levy
Locked