It’s Playoff time! In an effort to activate the fans and turn the HEAT’s home court into the toughest place in the NBA for opposing teams to play, we are once again calling on the faithful to dress in black and come on out and rock the rafters! Here’s the presentation for this year’s Miami HEAT Playoff campaign.
Here’s the 08-09 Miami HEAT Team Poster (cropped). Based on the look for this year’s team intro film, also created by Southern Brand. Perry Ellis and custom clothier Ike Behar teamed up to outfit the players. Check out the behind the scenes video here.
Photography: Brad Tuckman & Omar Vega Retouching: KSC Studio
Intro film directed by Eduardo Abon for Southern Brand Collective and Jellyman Films.
In 2008, following the season ending injury to superstar, D. Wade and the trade of Shaquille O’Neal, the HEAT limped to their worst finish in franchise history. The fickle South Florida fan base jumped off the bandwagon as fast as they had jumped on. And the question on everyone’s lips was: “why should I care about the HEAT?”
The team needed to re-energize and reconnect with their fan base and give them a reason to believe again and to take an interest. Southern Brand Collective convinced the HEAT to face the problem head-on and positioned the team behind the idea that they had something to prove.
Something To Prove.
In this precarious but hopeful position we launched a unifying, multi-platform campaign that spoke to the human element of “something to prove” in all of us. This messaging resonated not only with the HEAT faithful but it engaged the doubters in a frank and intriguing way. And it ultimately served as a rallying point for the team and the entire HEAT organization – from ticket sales to customer service.
Online we created something2prove.com - a cost-effective, fully-interactive micro-site where HEAT fans as well as doubters could sound off on HEAT happenings, post videos, comments and more. We also created a cohesive radio, TV, print and outdoor campaign that drove to the site and ultimately drove sales. We set the bar for online advertising within the sports industry with an integrated online campaign that focused on highly segmented targeting and retargeting and incorporated animated banners and google ad words to great effect. We utilized twitter, facebook and message boards to reach more HEAT fans and greatly increase the online presence of the team. We created “digital shorts” that were used as rich media ads online and ultimately distributed virally between fans. We also created additional revenue streams for the HEAT organization through custom merchandise and corporate sponsorship opportunities for fan giveaways under the “Something To Prove” umbrella. And we infused the “Something To Prove” messaging into everything from direct marketing to in-game entertainment.
Campaign Results.
The HEAT experienced the largest increase in year over year ticket sales in the NBA. And by integrating all these mediums, we created a unified brand message so powerful that it resonated even after the season ended - and resulted in a 78% Season Ticket renewal rate despite the coinciding economic downturn.
Southern Brand recently created some digital shorts for the Miami HEAT featuring rookies Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers goofing on their “new guy” status and the fact that neither suffers from a lack of self-confidence. The Chalmers spot was a spoof on D. Wade’s Robbins, IL spot for Converse and the OTB spot was just Beasley being Beasley. Originally slated for internet only, the spots ran on HEAT.com and something2prove.com and after audience response, were re-cut to run as :30’s during game broadcasts.
For the 2008-09 Miami HEAT Dancer poster we needed to bring the sizzle. The Dancers had just come off their 3rd straight victory as the “Most Popular Dance Team in the NBA”. They had to have a poster that was worthy of their stature. Working with HEAT corporate partner The Islands Of The Bahamas, we shot the dancers on location at the beautiful Atlantis resort on Paradise Island. The partnership also served to market the Islands of the Bahamas to HEAT fans throughout South Florida, incorporating the imagery in downloadable wallpapers, online photo galleries, in-game videos, contests and collateral materials. The posters will also be used at HEAT Dancer appearances and events throughout the entire season. Once again setting the standard for partnership marketing in the NBA.
Check out the behind the scenes video here.
Photographed by Brad Tuckman. Retouching: KSC Studio.
During the 2005-06 Season, the Miami HEAT and the NBA paid tribute to the past with a series of retro-themed games entitled “NBA Hardwood Classics Nights.” The Miami HEAT recognized the history and legacy of professional basketball in South Florida by taking on the identity of their basketball forefathers, the 1971-72 Miami Floridians of the American Basketball Association (ABA). The ABA, with it’s red, white and blue basketball, was the renegade basketball league that featured the three point shot and introduced the world to such players as Julius “Dr. J” Erving, “Iceman” George Gervin and David “Skywalker” Thompson. The Miami Floridians were know for their flamboyant uniforms, highlighted by the “only in Miami” color combination of Magenta, Orange and Black. In addition, the Floridians pioneered the concept of the female dance teams in professional basketball with the Floridians Ball Girls. The Floridians also embraced the personality of the ABA by staging wild promotions to draw fans and attention.
Southern Brand created the retro-themed campaign consisting of a team intro film, a web component, in-arena signage and game programs featuring Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade and the rest of the HEAT taking on 70’s era personas. The goal of this initiative was to sell Floridians throwback merchandise while adding to the entertainment offering of the HEAT Experience. Director: Eduardo Abon for Jellyman Film Co.
After the 2005-06 Championship Season, the Miami HEAT tapped Southern Brand to redesign the player’s areas and locker room as well as create a museum quality tribute to the team’s first NBA Championship. A mix of Pat Riley’s inspirational mantras and floor to ceiling depictions of pivotal moments in the HEAT’s run to its first title now define the team’s inner sanctum. Part museum, part motivational tool, the result has been dubbed “Championship Alley” and has set the standard in the NBA while serving as a showpiece for AmericanAirlines Arena.
“I wanted the players to have a Championship locker facility. All the images and changes they see, they’ll know why they were made and what it looked and felt like to win the title.”
– Pat Riley
Recently Gatorade signed on to be the exclusive corporate sponsor of Championship Alley, creating a new revenue stream for the HEAT.
