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Pittsburgh Penguins centre Sidney Crosby plays the name game in one of two 30-second TV commercials from BOS that promote the hockey star’s apparel and equipment collection. Named Reebok SC87, the line is available exclusively at Sport Chek.
The first spot shows Crosby carrying shoeboxes to presumably re-stock store shelves when he’s stopped by a store clerk who suggests names like “Sidnature” and “The Croz” for the new collection.
In the second ad we see a father and son rendered speechless after coming face-to-face with Crosby during a shopping trip at the store.
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“We wanted to have a unique space with Sidney in terms of differentiating him from some of the other partnerships,” said Mark Hindman, vice-president of marketing for Sport Chek parent company the Forzani Group Ltd., of the decision to cast Crosby as a Sport Chek employee.
“He’s very approachable… we wanted to bring that out in the ads,” he said.
The retailer of sports equipment and apparel signed a five-year deal in 2008 to become the exclusive Canadian retail partner for the Reebok SC87 line.
Crosby hasn’t played hockey since Jan. 5 and only recently returned to on-ice workouts after suffering a concussion that took him out of the latter half of the season.
“He’s still training. We’re hoping the best for him. We’re still on target and staying with our plan for now,” said Hindman.
Both commercials are also running in French through the remainder of the year, with Active International handling the media buy.
For the second year, Sport Chek is running an online contest that gives fans the chance to meet Crosby. To enter, consumers must visit a dedicated contest microsite and explain in 200 words or less, why they should meet Sid The Kid.
A panel of Forzani marketing executives will weigh each entry against a specific set of criteria. Since launching late last week, the contest has seen over 3,500 entries, far exceeding the campaign goal, said Hindman.
Sport Chek is promoting the contest with a television commercial separate from the two Crosby spots.
On Aug. 3 Canadian Tire Corp. got clearance from the Competition Bureau for its $771-million takeover of the Forzani Group Ltd, which also owns retail banners like Nevada Bob’s Golf and Hockey Experts.
Canadian Tire has long sold basic sporting equipment such as skates and bikes, but the Forzani purchase will allow it to cater to 18- to 35-year-olds who tend to shop in malls for more specific equipment and trendier brands.
The transaction will make Canadian Tire owner of the No. 1 and No. 2 sporting goods retail chains in the country.
While it’s too soon to determine whether marketing activities will change under the new ownership, Hindman said the newly formed company would need to figure out how to manage all of the ongoing sponsorships.
“We honestly have had no discussion on this topic yet because we just got approval so we’ve had no opportunity to brainstorm and determine where we’re going to go,” he said.
