Your inner sports fan is a maniac in body paint, a fright wig and tear-away pants. He's a little extreme, sure, but it's OK to let him come out and play, according to a new ad campaign from StubHub.
The ticketing agency, having just gone through a brand overhaul and logo redesign, kicks off its most significant media buy in several years tonight on ESPN's Monday Night Football, says company spokeswoman Alison Salcedo. The new commercials and related marketing are intended to let potential customers know that StubHub is beefing up its services—there's a new partnership with Uber, for instance, and fan alerts about favorite teams and bands—and trying to create a more holistic process.
"People are buying more than just a ticket," Salcedo said, "they're buying an experience."
Because being a sports or music superfan can be emotional, the creative from Duncan/Channon in San Francisco lets those freak flags fly, in the form of mini-doppelgängers. Never mind the bus full of people or the meeting packed with co-workers—the characters in the ads can't control their mini-me public displays of fandom. Hint: It involves Daisy Dukes for a country music gal.
The ads will air on broadcast and cable through the fall, and StubHub plans an online-only video in October, along with digital, social, radio and other outreach. The "Let your fan out" campaign takes the place of the beloved-in-sports-circles Ticket Oak, which had been a StubHub mascot for several years, and attempts to broaden the company's audience and make it more mainstream.
