An NBA lockout (no summer league), an NFL lockout (no workouts), no Olympic prep and no baseball made the quietest day on the North American sports calender…the day after the MLB All-Star game, even quieter than usual this year. What did that mean? A chance for other second tier sports…other events, to own a day with the right spin and marketing spend. What did we get? We got the ESPY’s, again well positioned to dominate the night and able to draw star power from every sport imaginable into LA. What was started as a gimmicky celebration has really turned into a major awards event for sports and entertainment, now with all the social media trappings pulled right in. We also got the back page given to Women’s World Cup an event which even a continent away has continued to inspire those who love the big event, despite the slow success of WPS as a marketing vehicle. Viewing parties, special events, and flag waving were all part of the mid-day celebration and actually served as a great segue for ESPN to the ESPY’s later that night in LA. We also had a smattering of minor league baseball, including the AAA All-Star Game, as well as a trade or two, but the quietest day remained pretty quiet.
Now maybe because it is the summer and brands don’t like to launch new platforms with a challenged audience base, but if there is an emerging sport or brands around it, the Wednesday post-All Star remains the day to grab attention. Some ideas:
Youth sports: Much has been made in recent years about the segmented structure that youth sports now takes in our society. Some groups have launched “Sandlot Day,” which encourages kids to play without adult supervision. Maybe the day after All-Star becomes just that…youth sports day, with activation programs tied to camps around the country, supported with the loud voice of the White House as a vehicle for anti-bullying and the “Let’s Move” campaign. Maybe it was time for the world’s biggest game of checkers or chess, some stunt that united youth sports across the country.
Pro Lacrosse: Professional lacrosse still moves in fits and starts, indoor and out. Could they take advantage of the day after All-Star to stage their own mega-event. It would draw coverage and interest if positioned right, and mid-summer is not a bad spot for the outdoor game.
Olympic Day: The USOC has made a great point of encouraging us all to support the Olympic ideals and the brands that support them. Why not seize the quiet day to stage Olympic type events or media programs, especially now that the world is in countdown to London? Launching some programs, like BMW’s new support program where test drives put dollars in the hands of Olympic hopefuls, is a great one that could get a little more of a national play oin such a quiet day.
Now maybe its best that the sports hangover day is quiet, as people need some time off and maybe there is not the market to rally enough support for a July Wednesday for a mega-event. However brands and entities in sport are always looking for a window, a clear one, to launch and promote. This past Wednesday was a wide open one, especially as we were in dual lockout mode, and one that probably won’t ever be this quiet again, as things return to normal and we enter an Olympic summer in 2012. One thing is for sure, if you were enterprising enough to find your way into AP’s transaction column Wednesday, your name was all over America’s papers and websites, as you could hear crickets coming from the world of professional sports this past Wednesday. Unless you were partying with the superstars in LA. Just a thought.
