Monthly Archive for November, 2010

Five Years, Five Seasons

Calgary Stampeders: 5 Years, 5 Seasons
The Calgary Stampeders have sure seen a lot over the past five seasons and I have been honoured to be a part of it all. Although my contribution is made far away from the turf (and certainly doesn’t require that of an athlete), I do consider the amount of work and the timelines to be quite the work out.

Each season a new visual identity needs to be developed that engages the fans (both new and old), from the pre-season to the playoffs. The essential deliverables range from items as simple as a mini football that gets tossed into the stands, to a complex 250-page stat book that gets distributed around the country. The Season Ticket Holder package and the corresponding promotional advertising are definitely the principal material, but I truly enjoy being involved in the full spectrum.

Check out the 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 posts for a quick glimpse into the creative communications of the last five years, five seasons of the Calgary Stampeders creative communications.

2010: The Ongoing Legacy

Calgary Stampeders 2010 Creative

The 2010 season was a year of big milestones for the Stampeders — they celebrated both their 65th anniversary and 50 years of football in their home, McMahon Stadium. The timeline/ribbon flowed throughout the material, representing the continuing tradition of the Stampeders Ongoing Legacy honouring the players of the past and the legends of the future.

2010 Advertising Samples:

2009: Our Champions Return

Calgary Stampeders 2009 Creative
With the club’s 6th Grey Cup Championship still fresh in the minds of Calgarians, it made all too much sense to have the returning players, Our Champions, do the communicating. Individual players were featured and inspirational quotes (even autographs) were used to help personalize the men behind the helmets. Vibrant colours and high contrasts used throughout the creative helped carry that celebratory feeling throughout the season. (On a side note, the Stampeders 2009 Season Ticket Holder base turned out to be the highest in CFL history with nearly 30,000 Season Tickets sold. I’d like to think it was all due to the creative, but I’m sure the 2008 Championship win and the 2009 Grey Cup seating rights had a bit to do with it.)

2009 Advertising Samples:

2008: Calculating Horsepower

Calgary Stampeders 2008 Creative

Long before the big win in November, it was clear that 2008 was going to be a big year. John Hufnagel, the new Head Coach and GM was instated in the off-season, the roster was refreshed and reenergized and there was even a shuffle in the administration. So, to portray this systematic revival, the creative was focused on quantifiable ways of calculating Calgary’s Horsepower; what the Stampeders mean to the fans — the tradition of the club, the energy of the stadium, the intensity of the defence, the excitement of the action … and the results of the games.

2008 Advertising Samples:

2007: One City. One Team. One Goal.

Calgary Stampeders 2007 Creative

Unity was essential to the success of the Stampeders 2007 campaign, so the theme was established to help inspire the team on the field and the fans in the stands. Somewhat ominous creative was developed to help generate intrigue and arouse interest for the season ahead … but we also had a little fun with the theme too. Unfortunately, in the end, it was the lack of unity that was the demise of the team during the playoffs for the second year in a row.

2007 Advertising Samples:

2006: Live the Action

Calgary Stampeders 2006 Creative

After years of disappointment on and off the field, things finally started to turn around for the organization throughout the 2005 season — it was a true breakout year for the team. The Live the Action/Live Action play on words, coupled with the bursting imagery was developed to illustrate the excitement of the live experience and highlight those breakout players who would lead the charge.

2006 Advertising Samples: