B-to-C Events

Now in its second year on the road the NBA on ESPN RV Tour will double its reach from 20 games to 40 games to promote ESPN and ABC’s expanded coverage of the NBA season. Games are broadcast on Wednesday and Friday on ESPN and starting in January on ABC on Sundays.

TBS created awareness and drove ticket sales for its “Very Funny” comedy festival via pedal pushers who served as brand ambassadors and moving billboards. The Comedy Festival took place Nov. 20-22 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

The brand ambassadors pedaled three bicycles towing branded 4-foot-by-5-foot signage and distributed information about the festival in general and individual shows which featured headliners such as Jerry Seinfeld Ellen DeGeneres Dane Cook Tracy Morgan and Jeff Dunham. TBS televised several programs from the festival.

Tecate will celebrate Mexican Independence Day (Sept. 16) throughout the month of September by sponsoring three boxing bouts featuring celebrated Hispanic boxers. It’s all part of the brand’s expanding partnership with boxing promotional firm Golden Boy Promotions.

Gold medalist Michael Phelps made a splash in New York City the day after he returned from the Olympics. EM was on site when the 14-time gold winner presented a $20 000 Play Every Day jump-start grant on behalf of Visa to the YMCA of Greater New York then changed into swimming trunks and demonstrated swimming technique to a group of local kids in the pool at Manhattan’s McBurney YMCA. Visa has partnered with Phelps to grow the sport of swimming around the world through domestic and international goodwill tours.

Samsung earlier this month celebrated fashion designer Valentino with a seven-day exhibit in New York City that is now showing in London through Sept. 19. The exhibit entitled “The Red Thread: The Inspiration and Passion of Valentino Garavani ” coincided with Fashion Weeks in those cities and was the first in The Samsung Imagination Icon Series a cultural initiative showcasing the worlds of fashion art and design.