Sears Blue Electronics Crew Fires up Football Fans
Retailer Partners with Panasonic VIERA HDTV for Mobile Marketing Tour
For most American football fans, football season is a time to catch their favorite football game either in person or on TV. Now, a new mobile marketing tour sponsored by Sears and Panasonic combines the best of both. The Sears Ultimate Football Experience tour showcases the latest in innovative High Definition home entertainment and gaming systems while making pre-game stops at professional and collegiate football stadiums. It provides fans the chance to play video games and showcase their karaoke skills on Panasonic VIERA HDTV screens for a chance at prizes.
The eight-week Ultimate Football Experience includes two custom-built, expandable tractor trailers that will travel the country throughout football season. The tour kicks off Sept. 10, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Pa. and continues to top-billed rivalry football games until Nov. 1, 2009 in Dallas, Texas (See Sears.com/Football for full schedule). One 24-foot trailer has five Panasonic gaming stations where 10 fans at a time can play the latest football games on 32″ Panasonic VIERA HDTV Screens. Additionally, a 60″ Panasonic VIERA HDTV showcases content — from Brett Favre TV commercial outtakes to reasons fans should choose Panasonic for their home theater needs to special deals on TVs.
A separate 16-foot trailer has a sitting area where fans can watch pre-game shows on four large Panasonic VIERA HDTVs or have fun singing karaoke as the trailer converts into a stage, giving them a chance at winning Panasonic prizes. These not-to-be-missed trailers will give electronics enthusiasts the opportunity to “pre-game” like never before. Even younger fans can partake in a football toss and get their dad an additional chance at winning a big screen by acquiring an additional discount card (some of which are instant in-store winners).
“Whether in-store, online or at the stadium, Sears wants our shoppers to know that we are equipped to provide the ultimate customer experience,” said Karen Austin, president, Sears Holdings Home Electronics. “Sears’ Ultimate Football Experience is yet another example or our commitment to making new technology and the hottest brands not only accessible to our customers, but also affordable. To demonstrate this we will supply fans with discount cards good for any Sears home electronics purchase to extend savings on our already unbeatable low prices.
“Sears recognizes that purchasing essential home electronics items can be daunting,” said Austin. “We are confident that by providing our valued customers with the expertise of the Blue Electronics Crew in a comfortable atmosphere, we will create a lasting relationship so when the time comes for a new television or digital camera, savvy shoppers will remember Sears’ unsurpassed approachability and authority in home electronics.”
Sears’ Blue Electronics Crew ensures that customers have access to a wide selection of the latest top home electronics brands in-store and online. With financial offers like Real Time Price Check and customer choice of 10 percent savings or 24-months no interest financing with Sears Card, Sears’ customers will always have the best deal of any local retailer. Additionally, Sears provides service and savings to shoppers by providing next day delivery for larger items and financing options such as layaway both online and in-store, Christmas Card Club and no payment/no interest financing until February 2010 with Sears’ credit available.
To see the full selection of Sears’ home electronics or learn more about the Ultimate Football Experience, visit www.sears.com/football.
Source: Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Knights of Columbus to Promote Volunteerism in 9/11 Tribute Ad
60-second broadcast spot to air during inaugural game of NFL ’09 Season
The Knights of Columbus, one of the nation’s most active volunteer service organizations — and the world’s largest lay Catholic organization — will air a unique 60-second 9/11 tribute ad during NBC-TV’s broadcast of the inaugural game of the NFL’s 2009 season on Thursday night, Sept. 10.
The piece will run during halftime of the 8:30 p.m. ET game, which will feature the Tennessee Titans and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The spot will run in New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Dallas.
Recalling the heroism displayed on 9/11, the 60-second spot reminds Americans that “we can still see the best in humanity today,” if we “give back.”
The spot directs viewers to www.servicetogether.org — a Web site with resources for volunteers and volunteer organizations.
The importance of giving is captured in the commercial through the story of 9/11 hero Capt. Al Fuentes of the FDNY Marine Division. Capt. Fuentes, now retired, was buried in the rubble of World Trade Center for nearly two hours before being rescued by his fellow firefighters.
“What I have been given is another chance,” Fuentes recounts in the piece. “I need to, and I will, give back: that is what the Knights of Columbus have always shown me for 38 years.”
The Knights of Columbus produced the ad as a tribute to those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks and as a reminder of the importance of keeping their heroic spirit of service alive.
The spot concludes by listing a new Web site, www.servicetogether.org, set up by the Knights of Columbus to help volunteers find organizations that can put their talents to good use, and includes resources to help volunteer organizations work more effectively with the volunteers they have.
“We will never forget the tragedy of September 11, 2001,” said Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus. “But we also must not lose sight of the heroic giving spirit of that motivated the heroes of 9/11 and those who volunteered in its aftermath. The problems we face today are different from those of 2001, but the need for service to our neighbor remains the same: it is truly, ‘the best of humanity.’”
In addition to the game on Sept. 10, the piece will run during NBC’s regional coverage of NFL games on Sunday, Sept. 13 in the same cities, and in New York, Dallas and Los Angeles during the PGA tournament.
One of the nation’s most active charities, last year the Knights of Columbus donated more than $150 million and nearly 69 million hours of service to charitable causes.
The Knights of Columbus was one of the first organizations to organize a response to 9/11. On Sept. 12, 2001, the Knights of Columbus launched the “Heroes Fund” which provided emergency funding — without red-tape — to the families of fallen police, firefighters and emergency services personnel. Nearly $1.5 million was distributed via this program.
Source: Knights of Columbus
kgb 542542 to Tackle All Your College Football Questions
From player and team stats and scores and schedules to info about the sport’s colorful traditions, passions and pageantry, kgb 542542 text answer service is game to answer all your college football questions
The 2009 college football season kicks off tonight and kgb is in the huddle to answer all of your pigskin questions. Below are some college football-related questions being tossed at kgb’s 542542 text answer service.
Who threw the most touchdown passes in a college football game? What is the name of the Ohio State mascot? Where and when is this year’s Army-Navy football game? Who won the 1980 Heisman trophy? When is Alabama Homecoming Weekend and who is the opponent?
Here’s the score: if you have a college football question (or any questions for that matter), send it via text message to 542542 (kgbkgb), the number for the kgb’s text answer service, where a specially-trained kgb Special Agent is waiting to provide a quick, accurate answer.
The kgb 542542 text answer service combines the power of the company’s best-in-class knowledge database and technology platform along with the judgment and skill of a specially-trained community of kgb Special Agents who provide quick, accurate responses to any question. Users receive real-time responses to questions any time, day or night, from any cell phone, for a cost of ninety-nine cents.
In January kgb launched its flagship text answer service, 542542 (kgbkgb) following the success of kgb’s similar “Ask Us Anything” premium text answer service in the United Kingdom.
Source: kgb
Don’t Let Ads Take Fun Out of Football, Wake Forest University Expert Says
On September 10, the NFL kicks off its season, and about 5.3 million children ages 2 to 17 will be watching football with their parents this fall. Pro football is by far the most popular sport among kids; 65.7% of kids ages 7-11 say they watch pro football on television. But what are your children watching besides football?
Advertisements promoting alcohol and sexual-enhancement drugs.
These ads have increased significantly during broadcasts of NFL games in recent years, leaving parents of children who enjoy watching the games wondering what they should do.
Christy Buchanan, an expert on parent-child relationships and a professor of psychology at Wake Forest University, can address the effect these ads have on kids and how parents can handle commercial breaks that challenge family values.
A recent study by the non-profit group Common Sense Media reviewed nearly 60 games, more than 180 hours of coverage, watched nearly 6,000 commercials and showed the following:
- 300 of the ads were for alcohol
- 40% of the games included advertisements for erectile-dysfunction drugs
- 500 of the advertisements involved significant levels of violence, including gun fights, explosions, and murders
- 80 of the advertisements involved significant levels of sexuality, including scenes about prostitution and strippers
Buchanan offers the following tips to parents trying to figure out what to do when a kindergartner asks “What is Viagra?” or a teenager comments on how much fun people are having in a beer commercial:
Take a “values moment” – Leave the TV on, but talk about family values. For older children (middle school age and up), parents can use the opportunity to engage children in conversation, particularly about issues such as drinking. “It is important for parents to address issues and share their values,” Buchanan says. “So, when beer commercials come on, talk about your views on drinking. There are so many societal messages that say ‘drinking makes life fun.’ This is a parent’s opportunity to say what they think and start a discussion.”
Switch channels and find another show — For younger children, hit the flashback button to Animal Planet or “SpongeBob” on the remote control, and then go back to the game in two minutes.
Mute the TV — Without the sound, commercials lose a lot of their impact. Parents can also use the time to talk about what’s happening in the game.
Turn off the TV
Source: Wake Forest University
VA to Host Summer Sports Clinic in San Diego
Event Helps Rehabilitate Injured Veterans Through Adaptive Sports
Recently-injured Veterans will learn how to surf, kayak, sail and enjoy other summer sports at a rehabilitative clinic sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
“As Americans, we have a covenant to care for those who have served our nation with honor,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “VA is proud to fulfill this covenant through events such as the Summer Sports Clinic, which gives injured Veterans an opportunity to rediscover their potential and redefine their capabilities.”
The second annual National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic will be held September 20 – 25 in San Diego. The clinic is aimed at introducing recently-injured Veterans to adaptive sports and renewing their self confidence through sporting activities.
Events at this rehabilitation clinic include adaptive kayaking, sailing, track and field, cycling and surfing, using venues throughout San Diego, including the U.S. Olympic Training Center. At the week-long event, they also build life-long relationships with fellow Veterans.
Participation is open to military Veterans who are eligible for VA medical care and who have orthopedic amputations, traumatic brain injuries, burn injuries, psychological trauma, certain neurological conditions, visual impairment, spinal cord injuries and other injuries incurred in the last six years.
VA is a health care leader in rehabilitation. The clinic is one of VA’s six rehabilitation events held each year, with sponsorship support for the summer clinic provided by original founding sponsors Help Hospitalized Veterans and the Veterans Canteen Service and national sponsor Health Net. The VA San Diego Healthcare System hosts the Summer Sports Clinic.
For more information, visit www.summersportsclinic.va.gov, or contact Richard Olague, VA Summer Sports Clinic Public Affairs Coordinator at (202) 461-7541.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
The Biggest Brand Story in the business of sports; New book from Inside the 30-Year rise of ESPN’s culture and success
ESPN THE COMPANY: The Story and Lessons Behind the Most Fanatical Brand In Sports By Anthony F. Smith with Keith Hollihan “If you love the business of sports, or the sport of business, you’ll love this book.” Lawrence F. Probst III, Chairman, United States Olympic Committee, Chairman of Electronic Arts
Published in time for ESPN’s 30th anniversary on September 7, 2009, a new book, ESPN THE COMPANY: The Story and Lessons Behind the Most Fanatical Brand in Sports (John Wiley & Sons, hardcover, $24.95), tells for the first time the insider tale of ESPN’s unlikely rise from a fledgling regional sports network to a global business empire valued at nearly $30 billion.
ESPN THE COMPANY, written by Dr. Anthony F. Smith with Keith Hollihan, chronicles the evolution of the franchise, drawing on Smith’s 20 years at ESPN spent counseling, coaching and critiquing company leadership as they built an unrivaled sports entertainment superstar. The authors detail the hard lessons the company learned through 30 years of trial and error which now serve as the guiding principles behind the success of the biggest brand in sports.
As Smith tells it, “Along the way, I saw a wild start-up become an industry threat and finally the industry leader. I got involved with ESPN at a crux moment, when the company was scrambling with the transition to achieve the scale and capabilities of its future self… What I’ve learned firsthand at ESPN about growing a great company I’ve written down in this book.”
From his vantage point high inside the company, Smith gathered insights on how and why ESPN persevered and succeeded where others might have failed:
ESPN THE COMPANY offers eight guiding principles by which it was able to survive, thrive, grow and constantly innovate over the last thirty years:
1. Turn Fanatics Into Fans
2. Think Like an Incumbent, Act Like a Challenger
3. The Right Leader at the Right Time
4. Create Your Own Game
5. Expand the Brand
6. Playing Well With Others
7. Blow the Whistle, Spot the Ball
8. Are You Having Fun?
DR. Anthony F. Smith is a Co-Founder and Managing Director of the Leadership Research Institute, based in Rancho Santa Fe, California, specializing in Leadership Development and Assessment. In addition to his work with ESPN, Smith has been an active consultant for over twenty years in the areas of organizational change and assessment, team building, executive coaching and development, and leadership training and design. He has served a list of enviable clients in a variety of fields, including, American Express, The National Football League, the Coca-Cola Company, The National Geographic Society, Seimans AG, The Walt Disney Company, Deutsche Bank, Spencer Stuart, Hewlett Packard, ESPN, KKR, Goldman Sachs, and McKinsey and Company. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed business book, The Taboos of Leadership: 10 Secrets No One Will Tell You About Leaders And What They Really Think, published by Jossey Bass, May 2007.
Keith Hollihan is a writer who has collaborated with Smith and many other top business and leadership experts on books and articles covering the gamut of issues that leaders face today. He is also coeditor of The Art and Practice of Leadership Coaching: 50 Top Executive Coaches Reveal Their Secrets and Enlightened Power: How Women Are Transforming the Path to Leadership, and Co-Author of the best-seller, Everybody Wins: The Story and Lessons Behind ReMax, all of which are published by Jossey-Bass, an imprint of Wiley. Keith lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Chicago to host Lingerie Football League opener
THE HERALDED SUPER BOWL HALFTIME COUNTER-PROGRAMMING SPECIAL BECOMES A LEAGUE MEDIA DAY, SEARS CENTRE ARENA, HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL., TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2009, 10AM – 1130AM
One of television’s biggest commercial properties is set to make its debut Friday, September 4, 2009 as the Lingerie Football League (or ‘LFL’) kicks-off its (20) week inaugural season featuring America’s most beautiful and athletic women playing 7-on-7 tackle football at major arenas and stadiums on Friday nights as part of LFL, Friday Night Football.
What started out as a Super Bowl halftime counter-programming special has now turned into a year-round brand complete with a Fantasy Football Draft, Mini-Camp, Training Camp, Regular Season Games, Championship Game and All-Start Game.
In four days, a new era in pro football will kickoff in Chicago at Sears Centre Arena with the premiere of LFL, Friday Night Football showcasing (1) game per week in a Game of The Week type format. Opening Night will feature the pre-season and hometown favorite Chicago Bliss hosting the Miami Caliente.
The broadcast will team will include longtime ESPN NFL Analyst Sean Salisbury, veteran Chicago Bulls play-by-play man – Tom Dore. Maxim Hot 100 winner April Rose will provide sideline duties.
Chicago fans wanting to start their Labor Day partying early can arrive to the arena at 3PM and take part in the LFL Tailgate Village festivities that will include DJs, BBQ Food, Video Gaming Lounge, Football Challenges, Player Meet/Greets, Beer Gardens etc.
A few tickets remain for Opening Night at Sears Centre Arena, fans can order tickets at http://www.ticketmaster.com/ by typing in Chicago Bliss in the Search box or by calling 1.800.745.3000.
Fans not lucky enough to land tickets to the big game in Chicago? LFL fans can catch any of the (20) LFL, Friday Night Football games LIVE and uncensored streaming at LFLUS.com. There are also a handful of domestic regional television stations and international distributors that will broadcast the games. Single game viewing will cost $7.95 with season passes being listed for $125.00.
Source: Lingerie Football League