The NHL tells hockey fans’ ‘crazy love stories’ ahead of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs
From getting a premature tattoo to smuggling a dead fish into the rink, the National Hockey League has plenty of real-life fan antics to share.
Today, in celebration of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs beginning April 20, the National Hockey League (NHL) has released its latest marketing masterpiece: a series of commercials that dive deep into the eccentricities of hockey fandom.
Three spots — titled ‘Tattoo,’ ‘Catfish’ and ‘Not Together’ — highlight the ways fans display their love and support for their teams’ quest for the Stanley Cup, even if it means doing some downright wacky stuff.
The first spot, ‘Tattoo,’ kicks off the hilarity by depicting a die-hard Vegas Golden Knights fan, who prematurely got a Stanley Cup Championship tattoo on his arm before the 2019 Playoffs begin. “This is our year,” he declared. Sadly for Dave, fate had other plans.
Next up, we have ‘Catfish,’ which portrays a Nashville Predators fan’s daring mission to smuggle a dead catfish into the arena with shrinkwrap. He navigated security and flung the fish onto the ice.
Finally, ‘Not Together’ tells the tale of two Colorado Avalanche fans who believed their relationship was cursed after a loss when they watched a game together.
“This campaign celebrates the extreme, and occasionally irrational, ways hockey fans show their passion and commitment to their favorite team,” said Casey Hall, senior vice-president of marketing & branding for the National Hockey League, in a statement. “While these spots highlight three unique and fun stories, the idea that ‘love makes you do crazy things’ is a universal theme that connects with sports fans everywhere.”
The creative agency behind the campaign is Highdive.
Chad Broude, co-founder of Highdive, commented: “These spots really capture the unique love that NHL fans have for their teams and the Playoffs. In these ‘crazy love stories,’ which were actually inspired by true stories we found, we paint a different picture of the way fans show their admiration and dedication to their teams–everything from getting tattoos to throwing a dead catfish onto the ice. The Playoffs are such a special time for NHL fans and we wanted to give them a nod in these spots for everything they do to help their teams make it to the Final.”
The spots launch today on the NHL’s digital and social media platforms before making their national TV debut tonight during game broadcasts, including the 9:30 pm ET Minnesota Wild-Los Angeles Kings game on ESPN.
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