The king of beers has conquered new marketing territory.
Budweiser Canada announced Wednesday that is has inked a new multi-year sponsorship deal with the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA). The Canada-specific partnership adds a beer brand to the NHLPA’s growing roster of corporate sponsors.
“We were looking for a beer brand partner and we noticed how Budweiser was engaging with the sport of hockey,” said Colin Campbell, director of corporate sponsorships with the Toronto-based NHLPA.
“Obviously it’s one of the most recognizable brands on the planet and we were excited by the cool things they were doing,” he added. “We felt there was an opportunity to help build both of our brands and it seemed like a natural partnership for both of us.”
The partnership formally kicked off during last Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada telecast, with a spot promoting the Budweiser Red Light. The 30-second spot, created by Toronto agency Anomaly, features the parents of L.A. Kings defenseman Drew Doughty. The spot shows Doughty’s parents celebrating a Kings goal with the Red Light while watching a game from their home in London, Ont.
Kyle Norrington, marketing director for Budweiser in Toronto, said the brand has sold “thousands” of the Red Light units – which it is selling online at Budweiser.ca for $149 – since it introduced the product in February. Some orders have come from as far away as the United Kingdom, said Norrington.
He called the partnership a natural extension of the brand’s ongoing involvement with hockey, which includes the Red Light, the ongoing “Select Hockey Tickets for Life” promotion, and a partnership with HNIC’s “Coach’s Corner” segment.
“Hockey is a passion point for Budweiser, and we have a long-term commitment to supporting hockey at all levels across Canada,” said Norrington in an e-mail interview. “Our partnership with the NHLPA allows us to further our dedication to hockey to include the best players in the world.”
Budweiser also promised a “few surprises” with the sponsorship, although both sides were coy about what those surprises would involve.
“The thing we really like about Budweiser is that they’re very imaginative and creative and they’ve got an exciting product,” said Campbell. “If there’s a way that enables us to reach out to our fans in a creative way we’re all for it.”
While the sponsorship deal is currently exclusive to Canada, Campbell said that the possibility exists to extend it into the U.S. and even Europe. He didn’t provide a timetable for when that would happen.
The NHLPA currently has about 12 corporate partners. With the recent NHL lockout in the rearview mirror, it is currently engaged in discussions with “multiple” potential partners said Campbell.
“There is a lot of opportunity for the players to be a conduit for connecting brands and their consumers,” he said. “There’s a lot of passion for our players among consumers, and there are a number of corporate sponsors that recognize the value the players bring.
“I think you’ll see us growing our business quite significantly.”
While Campbell said the NHLPA is on par with other player associations in terms of its marketing acumen, he noted that it has a thriving and highly evolved digital practice. A perfect example, he said, is last year’s “NHL Players’ PlayBook” program, developed in association with Blackberry. That program saw five NHLPA members – including the Philadelphia Flyers’ Scott Hartnell and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Joffrey Lupul – documenting their off-ice life using the PlayBook tablet.
“We’re ahead of the curve a little bit when it comes to getting the digital connection with our fans,” said Campbell. “That was kind of groundbreaking for a players’ union, and you can be assured that we’re going to continue to do more things like that.”
