Sprint and the National Football League are promoting the Any Mobile, Anytime plan with an integrated marketing effort that includes TV, print, online and out-of-home ads, as well as special mobile features.
The ad creative shows people in NFL team jerseys using their phones from little bubbles, which represent small in-circle calling networks. The hero of the ad breaks out of her bubble to call anyone.
Online ads are running on sports-focused sites including NFL.com, Yahoo.com, Foxsports.com, NBCSports.com, SBNation.com, Fantasy Sports Ventures and CBSSports.com. Television ads will appear with Sprint’s current lineup of NFL Mobile Live-specific spots during pre-game shows and game broadcasts on CBS, Fox and NBC.
The NFL-themed advertising is an extension of Sprint’s Now Network campaign, which features content about how people use their mobile devices. Sprint is also running ads to promote the exclusive NFL Mobile Live application on television, radio, print and online throughout the 2009 NFL season.
The NFL Mobile Live site includes a live radio broadcast of every regular-season NFL game and a live telecast of the NFL Network. It also features on-demand video highlights, statistics and player bios and allows users to opt-in to real-time text alerts when teams score. Users can also access the Sprint “Can’t-Miss Plays” feature, where fans can vote for a top-three play each week to enter the “Can’t-Miss Plays” sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to the Super Bowl. This sweepstakes can also be shared with a friend via the “send to a friend” link.
Sprint aims to both acquire new customers and retain existing ones with the effort. “We want to educate consumers about our products and services, but we also want them to use them once they’ve got them,” said Tracy Palmer, director of advertising at Sprint.
“The NFL Mobile Live feature is a chance for us to take our sponsorship to the point that we can offer the consumer NFL content and really build the relationship,” she said. “They can watch live games on their phone and find out stats about their favorite players.”
There is also a microsite where fans can go to get more information about NFL Mobile Live.
