News
October 21, 2003
NBA AND XBOX® LAUNCH INTEGRATED NBA INSIDE DRIVE
2004 “DRIVE TO GET INSIDE” CHALLENGE CAMPAIGN
Multi-Channel Effort Fuses Full Range of
NBA Media Assets, NBA Players and Celebrities, and More Than 900 Champs
Sports and GameStop Locations Nationwide
The NBA and Xbox today announced a fully
integrated marketing campaign, NBA Inside Drive 2004 “Drive to Get Inside”
Challenge, beginning today and running through NBA All-Star 2004, to support
the launch of “NBA Inside Drive 2004”, the inaugural basketball title in XSN
Sports™, Microsoft’s recently launched brand of sports video games for Xbox.
The campaign is optimized to target NBA fans and
video gamers through:
- a full range of NBA media assets, including NBA TV, NBA.com and NBA print publications
- a series of NBA Inside Drive 2004 tournaments featuring NBA players, celebrities and fans
- retail, via activation at Champ Sports and GameStop locations nationwide featuring special NBA merchandise premiums and an “NBA Inside Drive 2004” offer
NBA players scheduled to participate in fan
tournaments at GameStop locations include the Sacramento Kings’ Mike Bibby,
Minnesota Timberwolves’ Wally Sczerbiak, Orlando Magic’s Drew Gooden, Portland
Trailblazers’ Derek Anderson and Indiana Pacers Al Harrington.
“Xbox and XSN Sports are committed to working with
our partners to create and execute strategic marketing programs,” said Kevin
Browne, Studio Manager, XSN Sports. “This promotion with the NBA allows Xbox
and “NBA Inside Drive 2004” to reach some of our most treasured customers –
professional athletes, NBA fans and sports gamers. We look forward to
working with the NBA on this and many other similar marketing initiatives in
the near future.”
The campaign tips off with a unique retail-based
pre-sell program at over 900 GameStop and Champs Sports locations nationwide
and features NBA players participating in retail tournaments, customized
point-of-sale materials, special offers and prizes. In addition, everyone who
purchases a pre-sell copy of “NBA Inside Drive 2004” at GameStop will receive
two free issues of NBA Inside Stuff magazine.
The second phase of the program includes the NBA
Inside Drive 2004 “Drive to Get Inside” Challenge, in which Hollywood
celebrities and NBA athletes face off with fans, and one winning fan will get
the chance to be featured as a character in ‘NBA Inside Drive 2005.’ In
addition, the fan winner will compete in the XSN Sports World Championships,
the global tournament which will crown the world’s best XSN Sports gamer in
February 2004.
Additional program elements include:
- NBA TV original programming, including a full length feature and special segments, produced by NBA Entertainment.
- NBA.com original programming, including regular tournament updates, player profiles, and digitized game highlights.
- A second wave of retail tournaments with NBA players just prior to the NBA All-Star Game.
- Integrated messaging and promotion throughout NBA print publications including NBA Inside Stuff, and Hoop.
- Unique prizes and special offers on NBA Merchandise, NBA DVDs.
“Xbox and XSN Sports are creating high-quality, innovative, and immersive
entertainment and we are excited to partner with them on this program. The
fact that their gaming target is a perfect overlap with our young adult fan
base made the concept even more compelling,” said Renny Gleeson, Senior
Director Global Media and Interactive Marketing of the NBA. “It was great to
roll up our sleeves and work with a company ready to doing something really
integrated.”
About NBA
Since its founding in 1946, the NBA has become a global phenomenon that
transcends national boundaries. With 29 teams in the United States and Canada,
NBA games and related programming are broadcast to 212 countries in 42
languages. The NBA is one of the largest suppliers of sports television and
Internet programming in the world. Through NBA Entertainment, the league's
award-winning production and programming division, the league produces NBA TV,
a 24-hour television network, weekly television shows, and exclusive content
for each of the NBA's team web sites, and the league's official sites, NBA.com,
WNBA.com and NBDL.com. The league has also continued its partnerships with the
leading Internet content and technology providers to bring the game experience
even closer to its fans worldwide. For more information on the NBA, visit
NBA.com.
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