Best Proprietary Property (Consumer)

Program Name: NERF Dart Tag League
Client: Hasbro
Agency: Vivid Marketing

Even in the best of economic times, marketers struggle with whether or not to bear the full cost and responsibilities of a proprietary property. So when Nerf decided to launch its Nerf Dart Tag competition last year, we wondered, “Have these guys been hit too many times in the head with their spongy balls?” The answer, of course, was no.
Nerf Dart Tag is a cross between laser tag and paintball. All of the equipment required for play is naturally part of the Nerf Dart Tag product line, which includes single shot and semi-automatic dart blasters and target vests (a starter kit includes a pair of vests, blasters and protective eye goggles). The goal of the game, which is played in a custom-designed inflatable “Battle Dome,” is to hit Velcro targets on the opposing team members’ vests with a Nerf dart blaster loaded with Velcro darts.

To give the game an extra dose of legitimacy (think Frisbee Golf) the brand created the official governing body, the Nerf Dart Tag League (NDTL) and set off on tour last summer holding competitions in 15 markets including five in partnership with the AST Dew tour, an existing property with shared target demos and broad national consumer and media reach. Scrimmage games were held in between tournaments, so fans that didn’t want to venture into the Battle Dome got a chance to take part in the sport. The championship took place Oct. 15 to 18 in Orlando where winning teams of four in several age groups vied for a $25,000 prize.

In addition to the tournaments, the brand held activation initiatives with key retail partners including K-Mart, Toys “R” Us and Sears where brand ambassadors handed out NDTL premiums including wristbands, temporary tattoos and Nerf Target Sets, as well as informational brochures on the upcoming tournaments. In the end, the tournaments and retail tours netted 4,300 registered NDTL players and 20,000 consumer interactions.

To tie the whole league together and facilitate contact between Hasbro’s NDTL and its eager consumers (mostly boys 8 to 12 years old) the brand put up a microsite at hasbro.com/nerf/ndtl where players and prospective challengers can get info on upcoming games, register for the league and buy products.

Hasbro created the proprietary tour to drive sales but as the program evolves it may also enjoy the perks of self-sufficiency, potentially using tournament entry fees to offset program hard costs and opening events to additional sponsorship revenue and partners (for instance the AST Dew Tour). What brand wouldn’t love a program that pays for itself?

Program Name: Free Fest
Client: Virgin Mobile
Agency: Mother Industries

One good thing came out of last year’s doom and gloom—the Virgin Mobile Free Fest. The one-day festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland opened its doors to 40,000 people there to watch the 20 featured bands, including Blink 182, Weezer and Franz Ferdinand, and partake in cool experiences. The Virgin Mobile Free Fest also hosted a special VIP seating area for those who completed 13 hours of community service at homeless youth shelters nationwide as part of its Re*Generation cause to fight youth homelessness.

Targeting 18- to 35-year-old early adopters passionate about discovering new music and open to new ideas, the feel-good fest served multiple purposes, including growing brand awareness and attracting new consumers as well as rewarding existing customers. Another objective was to create a platform that would allow supporting co-sponsors like Kyocera XTC to interact with attendees.

Once inside Free Fest, attendees could choose from a variety of experiences and perks, like the Lucky Layoff Lounge created to reward consumers facing economic challenges by giving them an opportunity to win swag by playing fun games that were impossible to lose.

The fest received more than 460 million impressions and donated more than 30,000 hours to youth homelessness.

Program Name: T-Mobile Invitational
Client: T-Mobile USA
Agency: Wasserman Media Group

To raise awareness for its partnership with the National Federation of State High School Associations, T-Mobile created a high school basketball tournament with the top teams and players from around the country. Called the T-Mobile Invitational, the teams played in a Division 1 college facility and had their games broadcasted live on CBS College Sports.

The four-day program involved a series of events before game day. On Dec. 27, the teams arrived in Birmingham, AL, where they were treated to a private tour at the Civil Rights Institute, followed by dinner with basketball pros Charles Barkley and Dwayne Wade. The next day, the teams volunteered their time at the A.G. Gaston Boys & Girls Club as part of T-Mobile’s community service program called Huddle.

On tournament days, the teams arrived to an entirely T-Mobile branded experience with banners and signage as well as the CBS College Sports network set up to shoot the event. More than 5,000 people attended the tournament, more than 109,000 viewers checked out team vignettes on the online high school sports site, maxpreps.com, and more than 150,000 game recaps were viewed on CBS College online.