NEW YORK / CHICAGO – The National Hockey League (NHL) today debuted its new campaign for the 2024 Stanley Cup® Playoffs that highlights some of the crazy things fans do in the name of love for their teams. Three spots will launch today on the NHL’s digital and social media platforms before making their national TV debut tonight during game broadcasts, including the 9:30 p.m. ET Minnesota Wild-Los Angeles Kings game on ESPN. (Photos are available here.)
The :30 commercials speak to the true passion NHL fans have for their teams and makes light of the outlandish things fans do to demonstrate their allegiance and support in their team’s quest for the Stanley Cup.
- In “Tattoo,” an enthusiastic Vegas Golden Knights fan prematurely gets a Stanley Cup Championship tattoo on his arm before the 2019 Playoffs begin, confidently stating “this is our year.” Unfortunately for him, it was not their year.
- In “Catfish,” a Nashville Predators fan smuggles a dead catfish into the arena, braving the smell and threat of security, before tossing the good luck ritual onto the ice.
- In “Not Together,” two life-long fans of the Colorado Avalanche decide to end their 10-year relationship, believing that they’re bad luck after the first game they watch apart is the game the Avs win the Stanley Cup. For some fans, their favorite team is their true soulmate.
“This campaign celebrates the extreme, and occasionally irrational, ways hockey fans show their passion and commitment to their favorite team,” said Casey Hall, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Branding for the National Hockey League. “While these spots highlight three unique and fun stories, the idea that ‘love makes you do crazy things’ is a universal theme that connects with sports fans everywhere.”
The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin Saturday, April 20, with games on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+, TNT, TBS, TruTV and MAX in the U.S., and in Canada on SN, SN1, SN360, SN+, CBC, TVA Sports and TVAS2. Outside of North America, NHL international media partners will deliver games to fans around the world.
“These spots really capture the unique love that NHL fans have for their teams and the Playoffs,” stated Chad Broude, co-founder of Highdive. “In these ‘crazy love stories,’ which were actually inspired by true stories we found, we paint a different picture of the way fans show their admiration and dedication to their teams–everything from getting tattoos to throwing a dead catfish onto the ice. The Playoffs are such a special time for NHL fans, and we wanted to give them a nod in these spots for everything they do to help their teams make it to the Final.”
Fans can follow the conversation via the hashtag #StanleyCup.
NHL, the NHL Shield, and the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams. © NHL 2024. All Rights Reserved.
About the NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL®), founded in 1917, consists of 32 Member Clubs. Each team roster reflects the League’s international makeup with players from more than 20 countries represented, all vying for the most cherished and historic trophy in professional sports – the Stanley Cup®. Every year, the NHL entertains more than 670 million fans in-arena and through its partners on national television and radio; more than 191 million followers - league, team and player accounts combined - across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube; and more than 100 million fans online at NHL.com. The League broadcasts games in more than 160 countries and territories through its rightsholders including ESPN, TNT Sports and NHL Network in the U.S.; Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada; Viaplay in the Nordics, Baltics, Poland and the UK; MTV3 in Finland; Nova in Czech Republic and Slovakia; Sky Sports and ProSieben in Germany; MySports in Switzerland; and CCTV5+ in China; and reaches fans worldwide with games available to stream in every country. Fans are engaged across the League’s digital assets on mobile devices via the free NHL® App; across nine social media platforms; on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio™; and on NHL.com, available in eight languages and featuring unprecedented access to player and team statistics as well as every regular-season and playoff game box score dating back to the League’s inception, powered by SAP. NHL Productions develops compelling original programming featuring unprecedented access to players, coaches and League and team personnel for distribution across the NHL’s social and digital platforms.
The NHL is committed to building healthy and vibrant communities using the sport of hockey to celebrate fans of every race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status. The NHL’s Hockey Is For Everyone® initiative reinforces that the official policy of the sport is one of inclusion on the ice, in locker rooms, boardrooms and stands. The NHL is expanding access and opportunity for people of all backgrounds and abilities to play hockey, fostering more inclusive environments and growing the game through a greater diversity of participants. To date, the NHL has invested more than $100 million in youth hockey and grassroots programs, with a commitment to invest an additional $5 million for diversity and inclusion programs over the next year.
About Highdive Advertising
Founded in 2016, Highdive (highdiveus.com) is an independently owned, full-service creative agency headquartered in Chicago. With a focus on creating work so powerful it cant be ignored, the agency has a simple promise: to create the healthiest client and agency relationships in the world. Led by four seasoned advertising executives who set out to create an agency made up exclusively of top performers across every discipline, Highdive is breaking the traditional agency model to deliver big ideas for brands including Jeep, Ram Trucks, Boost Mobile, Airheads, Fruit-tella, Lay’s, Beam Suntory and Rocket Mortgage. On a rapid growth trajectory, Highdive most recently landed second place on Ad Age’s A-List. The agency has been named Advertising Age Small Agency of the Year (Midwest, Gold) three times and in 2020 Advertising Age Small Agency of the Year (Gold, National). Highdive also ranked number one on Adweek’s 2020 Fastest Growing Agencies List.
