Playoff Mode for the San Jose Sharks in 2019 and Playoff Mode for the NBA this year.
The NBA playoffs are in full swing and the league has unveiled their new star-studded “Playoff Mode” marketing campaign. It’s bold, brash, beautifully chaotic and even manages to weave in John McEnroe. Who’d have thunk?
Division of Labor, the San Francisco digital ad agency, created a “Playoff Mode” marketing campaign for the San Jose Sharks back in 2018 and 2019. You can see it here. It was a 360-degree marketing campaign with Playoff Mode ideas directed at fans and players. We utilized social media and digital platforms along with outdoor, live events, digital video and promotional programs.
We created Playoff Mode kits and gave away teal light bulbs so fans could light up their homes in teal on game day. We did a marketing promotion giving away free Sharks tattoos to fans who lined up in front of tattoo parlors the night before and slept on the street for their chance to get free Sharks ink. We made Playoff Mode neon signs, one for each of the 24 players, and posted billboards around the city. We turned the Shark Tank neon with a fresh Playoff Mode logo and neon towels at every game. It was a crazy time, back when the Sharks were on fire and in Playoff Mode consistently. (Not so much now, but we’ll be back.)
One of the 24 neon designs, this one for Brent Burns.
We made actual neon signs that were raffled off to lucky fans.
The NBA’s Playoff Mode work takes a totally different approach to Playoff Mode than what we did. The launch spot hurls viewers on an insane journey from city buses bound for Playoff Mode to workouts, practices and highlights with NBA players and, of course, Charles Barkley, all in Playoff Mode. And the scene with the KD bobblehead and the slam dunk that goes through the pavement and comes out in Serbia? Amazing.
Seeing the way different advertising agencies bring a simple two-word phrase to life differently is fascinating. We’re all dancing on the head of the same pin with so many companies and products doing similar things, saying similar things and courting similar audiences. Maybe the taglines sometimes overlap, but good ideas are much bigger than a couple of words.
Keep up the good work, NBA.
Free tattoos were given away as part of our Playoff Mode campaign. Each person in line was given a unique numbered card so if they fell asleep on the sidewalk, no one could take their spot.
The Kevin Durant Bobblehead in the NBA Playoff Mode commercial.
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The Small Agency Blog is produced by Division of Labor; a top San Francisco ad agency and digital marketing firm that’s been named Small Agency of the Year twice by Ad Age. The award-winning creative shop services clients on a retainer or project basis. They also offer brand consulting services and hourly engagements for startups and smaller brands. Click here for a free consultation.