New York City-based interactive agency THINK New Ideas Inc. has teamed with Players Inc., the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) to cybercast four days of the Super Bowl 1999 NFL Players Party.
The www.nflplayers.com site was created by THINK in partnership with Players Inc. with the goal of strengthening fan loyalty, players’ presence on and off the gridiron, and the Players Inc. brand.
The Super Bowl party at the site will feature live audio and video including footage of NFL players performing on stage, live chat with NFL stars, participate in polls and contests. Players scheduled to participate in the festivities include Miami Dolphins Trace Armstrong and Zach Thomas, the Baltimore Ravens’ Ray Lewis and the Denver Broncos’ Shannon Sharpe.
Other highlights of the four-day cybercast will include live entertainment from Naughty By Nature, chats with NFL standouts Tim Brown (Oakland), Emmitt Smith (Dallas), Jerome Bettis (Pittsburgh) and Kevin Greene (Carolina), a live halftime chat with NFL Hall of Famer Jack Ham and daily reports.
“Working with THINK provides us with the technological and interactive marketing capabilities needed to host a virtual party for millions of football fans around the world,” said Pat Allen, executive vice president and COO of Players Inc. “Our partnership with THINK continues to enhance our online presence as we market our players–both as personalities and professional athletes–during Super Bowl week and beyond.”
Coming later in 1999, THINK said the nflplayers.com will be enhanced with the creation of a network of individual Web sites for over 1,800 active and 200 retired NFL players, utilizing THINK’s proprietary WebMechanic technology, providing NFL players with the ability to edit, create and refresh content from any location in a user-friendly, non-technical process. In addition, the network will provide a platform for players to communicate directly with their fans.
Players Inc. develops marketing opportunities for current and former NFL players. The company was founded by the NFL Players Association in 1994. It is involved in licensed merchandise programs, corporate sponsorships and promotions, special events, music and video recordings, as well as television, radio and publishing projects.