Elite professional ice hockey players are a superstitious bunch – especially when it comes to post-season play. So much so that the act of ‘not shaving for luck’ for those stars who made it further than the regular season has become ubiquitous throughout the NHL. For the 2022 Play-Offs, broadcaster ESPN promoted its coverage by helping those players and fans growing facial hair for luck during the Stanley Cup Play-Offs to keep ‘a smooth vibe when things get hairy’ in the form of its branded ‘Lucky Beard Oil’.
In an initiative developed in harness with agency Arts & Letters Creative Co and manufacturer High Point Originals, ESPN sent 70 ‘Lucky Beard Oil Kits’ to Play-Off teams, plus targeted influencers and media professionals. The kits included a bottle of the conditioning oil, as well as beard grooming combs shaped like hockey sticks and leather travel cases resembling sports-equipment bags.
As for the oil itself, it was created with argan, jojoba and sweet almond to ‘enhance shine and reduce frizziness’.
The mixed fun/utility marketing initiative was promoted through a digital-first campaign led by a spearheaded spot and supported by a set of content pieces and backed by PR. The cable network primarily promoted the kits across Instagram, TikTok and through live on-air programme integrations.
Thanks @espn for sending me this lucky beard oil travel kit to try for free! pic.twitter.com/m7seSTzFq9
— Tony X (@soIoucity) June 16, 2022
While at the start of The Stanley Cup John King, of ‘All Hockey Hair’ fame, choose an ‘ESPN All-Beard Team’.
Plus, during the Stanley Cup itself the two teams also got involved through their oqn platforms and in-arena.
There’s nothing like playoff traditions, and there’s no place like sports.
For a little luck we want to know who our in the crowd tonight has the BEST playoff beard going and we may just stop by with a little surprise from our friends at @espn #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/N1pYbpPsZY
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 16, 2022
“Playoff beards are such a unique and storied tradition during the Stanley Cup playoffs. We wanted to celebrate this by giving fans and players the ability to participate, while also adding a little extra luck into their chin lettuce,” says A&L creative Sam Christian.
A&L Business Director Hill Shore added that “Lucky Beard Oil was a natural outgrowth of the agency’s efforts to expand ESPN’s pop-culture playbook” as it “sets out to elevate the stories, moments, players, fans, traditions and so many other things that happen in sports which go beyond the game. These things make up the soul of sports which inspire fans everywhere. In this case, NHL players have been growing out scraggly beards for years in the name of playoff luck. That’s amazing. It’s important that we honor the things that make sports so special to fans.”
The campaign was created for an ESPN team which was led by Laura Gentile (EVP Commercial Marketing, Disney Networks), Seth Ader (VP Brand Marketing), Peter Mulally, Director (Brand Marketing), John Lobo (Associate Director, Brand Marketing) and Lenny Washington (Coordinator, Brand Marketing).
Agency Arts & Letters Creative Co developed the initiative through a group which included Founder/Executive Creative Director Charles Hodges, Managing Director Rich Weinstein, Director Of Strategy Andy Grayson, Director Of Production Temma Shoaf, Creative Directors Molly Jamison, Nj Placentra and Andrew Kong, Creatives Sam Christian and Brendan Howard, Executive Producer Calleen Colburn, Producer Sean Riojas, Assistant Producer London Scalise, Group Business Director Brenda Scheinder , Business Director Hill Shore and Business Manager Nana Dadzie.
Production was also handled by Arts & Letters Creative Co XYZ with Executive Producer Whitney Green, Director Of Operations Adrian Mojica, Senior Producer Libbie Crane and Photographer Ethan Hickerson.
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