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| Guerrilla marketing for NHL games |
Have you seen these? They started popping up on DC sidewalks during the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. The number one seed Washington Capitals won the first round, but were defeated 4 games to 0 in a best-of-seven series in the second round. The cable sports channel Versus televised some of the games. It is lesser known than ESPN, or Comcast Sports Netowork, but is national in scope.
These guerrilla marketing-type, sidewalk advertisements seem a little too limited for any significant impact. There were 3 first round games in DC. And at the most, there would have been 4 second round games here. Because of the Caps futility, there were actually only 2 games at the Verizon Center in that round. So, a total of 5 games were played in DC. And Versus didn't carry all of those games.
For all the work the spray painters put into it, DC residents had less than 5 chances to turn on Versus and actually see the Capitals play at home in the playoffs. Also, not that a Caps fan can't branch out, but I'm betting a lot of folks were less interested in watching the playoffs once the Capitals aren't around. Which leads me back to the sidewalk advertisements.
For all the work the spray painters put into it, DC residents had less than 5 chances to turn on Versus and actually see the Capitals play at home in the playoffs. Also, not that a Caps fan can't branch out, but I'm betting a lot of folks were less interested in watching the playoffs once the Capitals aren't around. Which leads me back to the sidewalk advertisements.
I've seen them around the city. Way up here (on Park Rd NW), on F Street near Verizon, and on U Street (where this photo was taken). They appear to be spray painted through a stencil directly onto the sidewalk. And it has rained several times --occasionally heavy rain-- over the adverts and they don't appear worse for the wear. My main questions are 1) Who's behind this? Versus? Comcast, or another cable carrier? 2) Is it legal? 3) Can the originators please remove them?
I don't even really care if it was legal, it was fun idea. But now that the Capitals players have packed up for the season, the ads just need to go away. We've already got the punchless Nats and Wizards to fret over. The last thing this city needs is a daily reminder of what could have been for the Caps in 2011. So sad.
