Strategic partnership with MLSE solidifies
Sport Chek's position as the city's top retail destination for all
things basketball
#MyNorth puts city's basketball fans in
control of campaign creative through user generated content and
crowdsourcing
Retailer launches new We The North clothing
line from adidas, exclusive to Sport Chek and MLSE stores
TORONTO, Oct. 29, 2014 /CNW/ - Timed to coincide with
the tip-off of the Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) regular season, Sport
Chek (@SportChek) unveiled a new marketing campaign, #MyNorth, to
celebrate the deep-rooted basketball scene in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Every day on
basketball courts across the city, games are won and lost, bonds
are made, heroes are born and stories are created. The new creative
campaign aims to unite nine of Toronto's neighbourhoods – Brampton, Markham, Vaughan, North York, York, Etobicoke,
Mississauga, Scarborough and Toronto – by spotlighting and sharing authentic
stories and court culture under the banner #MyNorth.
Launching today, the program collects real stories, videos and
photos from the nine different neighbourhoods and amplifies them
through a media campaign that uses out-of-home, in-arena at Toronto
Raptors games, social media, television, digital and public
relations. The retailer's new 10 year relationship with the Raptors
is part of the larger strategic partnership between the Canadian
Tire Family of Companies and MLSE announced last September.
A fully integrated program, each of the nine #MyNorth
neighbourhoods will have:
- A TSN-produced documentary that shares a unique, inspiring and
often never before told basketball story from the community
- Out-of-home signage that is built around relevant locations to
the basketball community
- Events held throughout the season intended to celebrate and
curate user generated content
- An illustration by a Toronto-born
artist that celebrates the city's places, people and stories
- Access to Section 307 at Air Canada Centre, the #MyNorth fan
section, where for each and every Raptors home game Sport Chek is
giving away over 85 tickets to neighbourhood teams and community
ambassadors
- Opportunity to provide design ideas for a future We The North
crowd-sourced collection that will feature pieces for each unique
neighbourhood. This expanded collection will be available
exclusively in Sport Chek stores in March
2015.
"What makes the #MyNorth platform so ground-breaking is that it
gives creative control to the Raptors' most valuable asset – its
fans," said Frederick Lecoq,
Senior-Vice President of Marketing at FGL Sports. "From the content
fans want to see in-arena, the images and videos that are promoted
across Sport Chek's channels and the designs that are featured on
new products we'll be selling in our stores next year, we're
empowering fans by giving them the opportunity to connect with the
team in an entirely new and exciting way."
"We see the true passion of Raptors fans every day all over the
city of Toronto and beyond," said
David Hopkinson, Chief Commercial
Officer at MLSE. "The #MyNorth campaign celebrates the heart and
passion of Raptors fans throughout the city in the neighbourhoods
where they live, work and play."
In advance of the neighbourhood-specific clothing launching next
year, the program announced today also includes the availability of
a new We The North line from adidas that is available exclusively
at Sport Chek locations across the GTA in November, 2014.
The #MyNorth platform launches with an anthemic ad-spot which is
viewable today on Sport Chek's YouTube channel, alongside an
'Undercover Pro' social video featuring the Raptors' power forward
Patrick Patterson.
Raptors fans are encouraged to engage with the campaign through
the hashtag #MyNorth on social media, as well as through Sport
Chek's Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram channels. For more
information about Sport Chek or products available online or
in-store, including Toronto Raptors and new and exclusive We The
North merchandise, please visit Sportchek.ca.
About FGL Sports:
Part of the Canadian Tire Family of Companies, FGL Sports Ltd. is
Canada's largest national retailer
of sporting goods. Offering a comprehensive assortment of
brand-name and private-brand products and operating more than 400
stores from coast-to-coast, FGL Sports includes the following
corporate and franchise banners: Sport Chek, Sports Experts,
Atmosphere, Pro Hockey Life, National Sports, Intersport,
Nevada Bob's Golf, Hockey Experts,
the Tech Shop, and S3. FGL Sports also has websites for several of
its corporate and franchise banners which can be accessed through
its main website at www.FGLSports.com.
About Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
Ltd.:
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) is one of
the world's premier sports and entertainment companies that owns
the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), the Toronto Raptors (NBA), the
Toronto Marlies (AHL), Toronto FC (MLS), Air Canada Centre,
Maple Leaf Square and three digital channels — Leafs TV, NBA TV
Canada and GOLTV Canada. MLSE has also invested in four of
Toronto's sports facilities — Ricoh
Coliseum, home of the Marlies, BMO Field, home of Toronto FC,
Lamport Stadium, and the MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence,
the practice facility for the Maple Leafs and Marlies. MLSE
operates and manages events at Ricoh Coliseum and BMO Field.
SOURCE FGL Sports Ltd.