The unsuspecting customer enters Canadian Tire Store #070 in Etobicoke to purchase paint for his long neglected baseboards. He is greeted by the clerk organizing the buggies, casually strolls through Lighting, makes a right turn into Sporting Goods and a left into Hockey, passes the staged ice hockey arena, camera crews, Jonathan Toews and…. Wait a minute!
On Friday, August 20, Canadian Tire opened the doors to one of its average neighbourhood stores to announce their five-year partnership with the NHL® . Opened to the public, the press event’s over the top staging, flocks of executives and media, foreshadowed the big announcement that was to come. Click here for the official press announcement and partnership details.
The authenticity of the launch was immaculate
As 30 kids sporting Canadian Tire Hockey School (CTHS) jerseys marched in, the buzz began to rise. Proud parents watched while their little budding hockey stars took their seats behind life-size hockey boards and dotted the stage’s adjacent perimeters to surround the media with honest, excited grins.
The branding and logo placements for the NHL®, Canadian Tire and CTHS, were naturally integrated into the arena-style staging. The main stage saw ice skates strategically showcased against an illuminated ice rink backdrop, while the media were seated on wooden “players” benches. I nearly expected a teenager carrying a confectionary basket above his head to offer me some Twizzlers!
With all of their ducks (errr… mini hockey players) in a row, local dealer Ted Magnall opened the floor and introduced Mike Arnett, President of Canadian Tire Retail and Keith Wachtel, Senior Vice President, Integrated Sales & Marketing, NHL®. Arnett and Wachtel spoke about how the partnership of the two iconic brands will create a positive hockey experience and provide helpful resources for parents, players, coaches and fans alike. After their messages, the duo introduced the Hockey School’s founding member, Chicago Blackhawks’® team captain Jonathan Toews. The Manitoba native was presented the same CTHS jersey that the tiny tots were sporting. After symbolically putting on the jersey, the day came full circle when the Toews spoke about getting his first pair of skates at Canadian Tire. The event closed with all 30 kids, Wachtel and Arnett surrounding JT for a photo-op.
TrojanOne consulted Canadian Tire on the partnership with the NHL® and played a large role in the activation of Hockey School from POS to web to the camps. Naturally, I was excited to be present at the unveiling of the highly confidential project that my coworkers, the T1 team, had been eating, sleeping and breathing for months.
One of my favourite moments of the day is two-fold. A mom was standing behind the media, with her two little girls, watching her son who was one of the young hockey players in a CTHS jersey chosen to be part of the launch and photo-op. She had this thrilled look on her face, barely containing itself from announcing, “That’s my son over there! Two feet away from his idle, Jonathan Toews!” Her camera was snapping and flashing and you just knew that moment would be remembered forever.
Now, the marketer in me emerges: the other great thing about that moment was the proof that getting real moms (the consumers) and their kids involved in the launch of a new property like CTHS is the pinnacle of brand activation and consumer engagement.
Without a doubt in my mind, that mother is more engaged in her child’s passion for hockey than ever before. Fostering that passion, she’s likely to register all of her hockey-playing kids for Canadian Tire Hockey School, enter for a chance to win the $25,000 NHL® Dream Season Contest, and is counting down the days until the details of the hockey camps in her area are announced.
“The ideation of Canadian Tire Hockey School stemmed, most importantly, from a strong understanding of the consumer passions needed to be tapped into,” said Mark Harrison, President, TrojanOne. “We know that hockey is more than just the game once the skates come off. Parents, players, coaches and fans needed an outlet to support and reinforce their passion. That’s what Canadian Tire Hockey School is all about and will deliver to Canadians.”
Long live hockey!
