As teams and brands struggle to find more unique places to generate buzz and sponsor interest, and as the last four major sports in the United States still try to keep uniforms clean of advertising for team branding, new options for expermentation will abound. This weekend, Gary Smith, the co-author of Saving Face, the history and uniqueness of the hockey goaltender mask, was asked about the space on the goalie face as a creative license or a branding opportunity.Earlier this year the Tampa Bay Lightning tried with some success (and great creativity) to use the masks of goalies Mike Smith and Olaf Kolzig as advance publicity for the movie Saw VOren Koules. The masks were eventually raffled off for charity and while some media questioned the commercial viability of the images, the result got buzz for a brand that can struggle. Several years ago MLB did a deal with Marvel to make the bases in stadia look like webs as a promo for Spiderman, and were vilified by the press. The result was good buzz for a one shot promotion for Marvel and a one-time test for MLB. So the question remains, how do you find space that is tasteful enough with an ROI that is valuable in a shrinking marketplace. Alternative uniforms work for the big four, so maybe there are one-offs that can be created for charity and sponsor buzzDoes it cheapen the produc.? Do the brands have to stay clea.? can you do funky branded batting helmets for one gam.Saw V was a good test for the NHL…will be interested to see what comes next on the faces of our favorite goalies.the Ne.York Daily News has a good piece on the Barack Obama collectable market.could.it supplant the sports collectable market…the LA Times TJ Simers has a great piece on a tribute held at every UCLA game now by other fans to the late Bruins fan Stephanie Rios…the Washington Post's Michael Wilbon has a look at the demise of the Houston Comets, and what it signals for both the WNBA and sports in general…and Newsday's Neil Best has a great note on a fantastic three days for the State University of New York and its athletic teams, long maligned in on field success…
