The National Hockey League, in collaboration with NBC, CBC and RDS, has released a new tune-in marketing campaign to promote the upcoming NHL Winter Classic 2009 game on New Year’s Day at Wrigley Field. The TV spot, backed by the singing of the late, legendary baseball broadcaster Harry Caray and his iconic version of "Take Me Out To the Ball Game," debuted on the NBC Sunday Night Football Game between the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings. NBC’s Bob Costas narrates the U.S. version. This marks the first time that the League and its rights-holders have worked together to create a universal campaign for a single event.
The creative begins with images of various Blackhawks and Red Wings as they prepare for NHL Winter Classic 2009 and pays tribute to the once-in-a-lifetime meshing of NHL hockey and Wrigley Field while featuring pre-game routine and rituals of players from the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings, the teams competing in this season’s NHL Winter Classic 2009. Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, James Wisniewski and coach Joel Quenneville and Detroit Red Wings Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Marian Hossa, Pavel Datsyuk and Chris Osgood are highlighted, with a final cut to the exterior of Wrigley Field on a snowy day.
The campaign is now running on NBC, RDS, VERSUS, NHL Network, regional broadcast carriers, NHL.com and other digital sites. CBC will begin airing the spot on Dec. 15th. This campaign also will live through digital banners and outdoor billboards in the Chicago market.
