Ring ceremonies used to take two forms for championship teams. A quiet, low key team only event where players celebrated amongst themselves and those insiders who were part of their title run. Then there was usually the more public ceremony which most teams do, many times on the first home game of the next season. It gave the fans a chance to experience the moment and also relive the championship memory, and hopefully spread some good karma for the next season.
So what do the Super Bowl Champion Giants do? They find a way to create both a brick and mortar and virtual experience, fully sponsored but not over the top, to unveil their new rings. The team took the ring party to Tiffany’s, complete with blue carpet this week, with media on hand to see, touch and feel the rings along with the players. Select business partners and a few lucky fans were also on hand for the mid-May brand building event at a time of year when most NFL teams are quietly going about the off-season workouts.
Then there is the virtual world. For years many leagues have licensed out cheaper replicas of the actual championship rings for sale to fans in various forms, from paperweights to items fans could actually wear. Not the real thing, but pretty close. However the Giants took the fan experience one step further, working with the augmented reality company GoldRun to create an app where fans could download the actual ring that the players and staff unveiled this week.
With the app, fans virtually try on and snap photos with the team’s Super Bowl rings, as well as the Lombardi Trophy, and then take part in a shared online experience with others wearing the rings and “holding” the trophy. Those who downloaded were eligible for a series of prizes and inclusion on Giants.com and the team’s official Facebook Page.
The app and the ring ceremony were the latest and greatest examples of how Big Blue, while never sacrificing the tradition and value of their brand, has been able to ramp up their engagement with fans and brand partners year-round. Their chats with players during the playoffs, their video streaming during the victory parade, their year-round enhanced digital and broadcast video offerings, and their work with Pinterest as a marketing channel late last season have all given fans the ability to further immerse themselves more personally in all things Giants, regardless of how the season ended.
While some iconic brands in sport and even entertainment have sat back and enjoyed the spoils of victory, the Giants have gone the other way, looking for even more ROI and activation points for all who want to experience the team year-round. Another winning week for a championship franchise, even though the beginning of their title defense is still a ways down the line.
