Last week, I decided to take off Wednesday night (yes I know, a school night!) and treat myself by going to a Canuck Game with some friends. Although I was worried about the amount of school work and studying I would miss out on, I honestly believe this was one of the most fun nights I’ve had in a while.
Anyways, while at Rogers Arena (formerly known as GM Place for all you behind in the times), I found myself surrounded by marketing at its greatest. The arena is full of advertisements promoting all kinds of different projects – whether it be the main sponsors who get their logo imprinted right into the ice, the numerous ads circling the rink, or the flashy, colourful light ads that streak across the building at random intervals.
Looking back at old clips of hockey games, you can instantly notice that something other than the retro jerseys and lack of safety equipment on players is different. Everything looks so white and empty, and this is because of the lack of advertisements circling the rink. I don’t know when companies started to promote their products or services at hockey games, but whoever first started this trend was a real hero to the marketing world. Because hockey is such a popular sport, especially in Canada and the United States, companies must dream of having their ads posted around arenas, knowing that they will be seen by not only the thousands of spectators in the arena, but also the large TV audience. Thousands of fans crowd into arenas to cheer on their favourite team, and the energetic, and fun atmosphere created by the excitement of the game puts people in high spirits, and therefore more accepting of the advertisements which at other times may appear overbearing.
So despite the fact that I missed out on a whole night of studying, and that the Canucks did in fact lose to Edmonton the night I went, it was a fun night nonetheless and I was able to see marketing in one of its prime sectors.
Go Canucks Go!
