Experiential Inspiration: Branded pitches and courts
Experiential Inspiration: Branded pitches and courts
Features Puma, EA Sports, FIFA, Nike, Hennessy, Cleveland Cavaliers
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Here’s a look at some high-impact branded soccer pitches and basketball courts that were built with the intention of providing deep & memorable brand experiences, and securing PR coverage.
Puma creates “Pitch Perfect” to host a rematch
To leverage the hype of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and as part of Puma’s “1975 OGs” campaign, a bespoke pitch was built on Cockatoo Island by creative agency, Bursty to host a rematch between the Australian and New Zealand women’s teams who faced-off in the Asian Cup in 1975.
EA Sports unveiled the Sam Kerr Football Pitch
EA Sports partnered with specialist engagement marketing and brand experience agency, Banter to create a permanent soccer pitch in the heart of Sydney which will be used to host Police Citizens Youth Clubs girls’ grassroots programs.
Fans can also play on the Sam Kerr Pitch in the new EA SPORTS FC24 video game.
FIFA rolled out their Unity Pitch in the lead up to the Women’s World Cup
As part of their pre-event marketing campaign FIFA launched their “Unity Pitch” in February (alongside the Trophy Tour) and visited all nine host cities.
The Unity Pitch is an eye-catching, outdoor futsal-sized pitch that showcases the FIFA Women’s World Cup vibrant brand identity, and reflects the cultures of Australia and New Zealand.
The presence of the Unity Pitch provided a key platform for a localised approach to generating interest and buzz for the tournament through media and PR activities.
Hennessy celebrated their NBA partnership
As part of their “Courts Beyond Limits” series, Hennessy and The NBA turned Bondi Icebergs into a beachside basketball court, in 2021.
The following year, they went bigger and placed a floating basketball court in Sydney Harbour.
Outside of Australia…
Nike basketball courts
In 2021, Nike constructed a basketball court in Serbia using 20,000 upcycled sneakers.
In Paris, the Pigalle Duperré basketball court sits in the middle of two buildings characterized by the classic and charming Parisian style. The court is a collaboration between Stéphane Ashpool (founder of Pigalle brand) and Nike. It’s received a massive amount of global coverage over the past decade, thanks to its visual appeal which has been updated multiple times.
The Cleveland Cavaliers unveiled a newly refurbished court in Brazil
As part of their long-term vision to grow basketball in Brazil, Cavaliers global ambassador Anderson Varejão cut the ribbon to celebrate the official opening of the newly refurbished Beco do Nego basketball court in São Paul, in early 2023.
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