Sky-bound sports marketing pitch to Rangers fans hits new low

May 17. 2012 10:54AM

By Joe Arney


I've found what just may be the most ridiculous sports-related marketing promotion that doesn't involve pink ice at a hockey game.


Admittedly, sports marketing (and therefore, stupidity in sports marketing) is getting to be a crowded landscape. But nothing has created opportunities quite like social media have. Even the most ineptly marketed teams, like the New Jersey Devils (yes, I beat up on my favorite team once before in this space), have taken great strides with the help of social media; a recent Twitter campaign encouraged fans to message the team with their address (more of a red flag than a red alert) to wake up this morning with signs on their front lawns:


As an aside: The masters of this, by far, are in Los Angeles. They are smart, they are snarky, they have no job openings or I would have applied by now. One example of many over @LAKings:

The Devils did, sadly, back away from the "No Blue" campaign its marketing team launched earlier this week. After tickets to Devils-Rangers games sold out in 10 minutes, the team posted advice for reselling tickets to Devils fans, to keep New Yorkers' involvement in their series limited to their dark, labyrinthine anachronism with poor ice and penalty boxes that don't open (official motto: "World's Most Famous Arena Unless You Count the Coliseum"). But "No Blue" went dark without explanation almost immediately.

Anyway, let's get to the award winner for worst promotion: According to an NBC affiliate, Delta Air Lines is offering Rangers fans free flights to Saturday's game, in Newark, via LaGuardia. Departure time is 10 a.m. for the flight, which will take 17 minutes in the overcrowded skies above Manhattan, according to the report. Of course, fans will want to get there at least a couple hours early to get through security, meaning you may have to leave your cramped apartment at 7 a.m. to get to a game that doesn't start until 1. It might be possible to make the trip on foot in less time. I mean, does anyone except Frank Lautenberg hate the Port Authority enough to eschew PATH service to Newark Penn Station in favor of a plane?

But any Rangers fans dumb enough to take "advantage" of this offer would at least be advised to "get your Jersey on," as the Devils marketing team has been promoting all year. Because if you try to carry on your jersey, instead of wearing it, I imagine there'll be a fee.

I'm even more irreverent on Twitter @joe_arney.


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