Bobby Orr Takes Flight
The NHL has made perfection of preserving the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The fascinating way that they’ve done it, is through the use of commercials. When it comes to hockey, the advertising execs are geniuses at knowing exactly how to advertise the playoffs. It’s funny to think that they are already selling us something we are already buying, but wow do we feel great about what we’ve bought in to. I want to take a little trip down commercial lane to show exactly why we love the playoffs and how the NHL has sold us completely, utterly, lock, stock, and barrel to our sport. These commercials are part of why we stay up for triple overtime playoff games. This first group of commercials are the fun and unique ones. Part Two of Preserving The NHL Playoffs Commercial Style will highlight the commercials that have set twitter on fire and are the best of the Stanley Cup documented moments that the NHL has brought us so far.
Because It’s The Cup, Let’s Get Weird 2013
http://youtu.be/TY7jMd3Hk3s
Why we love this commercial: This is by far the zaniest, most off beat commercial I think the NHL has made. Hockey fans are passionate, yet some are FANatical. I love the look of the guy in the penalty box. He’s got to be thinking, “These guys came to watch a hockey game?” While I’ve read that hockey has the highest educated fan base out of all professional sports, there is something a little weird in all of us. And the NHL celebrates it. I think this is one of the first NHL commercials to come out for the playoffs due to the possible fact that it has been a weird year for hockey. What better way to get the playoffs started than to celebrate the weirdness of it all.
Because It’s The Cup, It’s Time For First Kiss Jitters 2013
Why we love this one: It’s hard hitting. it’s straight to the point. The playoffs are here, we’ve crammed a lot into a few short months. It’s do or die time. It’s now or never. You can see it on the players’ faces. They know there’s almost no margin for error when it comes to the playoffs. The ad execs take us through the angst on the guys’ faces, through the season to the race to the cup. I can’t imagine there is anything that any guy in the finals of the Stanley Cup wants to kiss more next week than he wants to kiss that cup.
Because It’s The Cup, Characters 2013
http://youtu.be/oUrnE4AiwqI
Why we love this one: You take random clips of guys who are usually so serious on television, and show us their goofy, good natured, sense of humor side. We are used to seeing our guys so focused, intent, burning to win. The funniest thing we usually see when we watch the games are the guys chewing on their mouth guards or blooper reels. Here we see them at their most human, off guard, silliest, and funniest. We like to know our heroes are human, and nothing says human more than funny.
History Will Be Made, History Never Runs Out Of Tricks 2011
Why we love this one: The History Will Be Made campaign was an unequivocal winner. Each commercial ripped your heart out of your chest, it recounted some of the coolest moments in hockey’s greatest history. The wording on this commercial, and the odds of scoring a hat trick are rare. This was Setoguchi’s first career hat trick, and for it to occur during the playoffs and be a game winning goal was a feat in itself. It is true, history never runs out of tricks. I can almost guarantee you that this is the trick Setoguchi is proudest to have ever played.
History Will Be Made, What If Bobby Orr Didn’t Fly 2010
Why we love this one: This is probably the epitome of the History Will Be Made commercials. The awesomeness of this commercial is that is takes what we are watching in real time, and slows it down, runs it backward. We don’t think about how hard it is to play hockey every second we watch it. But it is. There is so much that goes into being not just a good player, but an NHL caliber player. We see that these guys do fly, they are our version of Superman. We just don’t get the opportunity to see how awesome each and every play is until you see it in slow motion, in reverse, and with unarguably one of the greatest players of hockey history. His goal is just a goal, until you see the super human effort it took to make it thanks to this commercial.
Bully Playoff Commercial 2010
Why we love this one: It’s a sleeper. It’s the odd commercial that you aren’t sure you wonder why they made it, or that you like it, unless-it makes you want to hang up your pretty pink ballet slippers and become an enforcer. It’s about standing up for your team. It’s about not letting the other side get to you. It’s about doing something. It’s ultimately about winning and putting the naysayers in their place.
History Will Be Made, History Begins With A Wish 2011
Why we love this one: We all get it. It is our most fervent wish that our dreams come true. We know what it’s like to be knocked down, get back up, only to be knocked down again. We know what it’s like to fight for something. But most of all, we know all to well what it is like to wish on something. Here’s to finding out if Patrick Kane wished for two Stanley Cups.