CFL.ca Staff
#GreyCup
TORONTO — The Canadian Football League has plans to make the 102nd Grey Cup in Vancouver the most social Grey Cup in its storied history.
“For decades, the Grey Cup has been one of the most social events in Canada every year,” said CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon. “But this year, we plan to make it the most social Grey Cup ever, taking it from the streets of Vancouver and BC Place Stadium to fans everywhere through social media, live content and special events.”
In order to achieve its ambitious goal, the CFL has formed key partnerships and developed an aggressive plan to maximize the social reach of Canada’s largest single day sporting event.
Here is a detailed look at everything planned for this year’s Grey Cup:
#TheGreyCupAd
The Canadian Football League is calling on Canadians to help make a dramatic 60-second commercial that tells the tale of all the highs and lows of the 2014 playoff journey. Fans are asked to capture and share video of their experiences throughout the playoffs and Grey Cup. The video footage captured will be used in the final commercial airing on TSN and in-stadium during the 102nd Grey Cup in Vancouver on Sunday, November 30.
Fans can submit their VIDEO footage by sharing it on any social media platform by using #TheGreyCupAd or by visiting here: http://thegreycupad.ca.
Partnership with Twitter Canada
Through a partnership with Twitter Canada, the Grey Cup will feature:
- The 6th Annual #GCTweetUp, this year held at the Shaw Tower in downtown Vancouver, will include a Twitter Vending Machine, Twitter Mirror, VIT guests, players, live Twitter Q & A’s, the Grey Cup trophy and a whole lot of tweeting.
- Two Twitter Mirrors, a selfie and content producing machine for celebrities, will be used throughout Grey Cup week and will be at key events.
- The Grey Cup Festival at the Vancouver Convention Centre
- Behind stage at CFL Awards Show on Thursday, November 27
- Outside the locker rooms at BC Place Stadium before and after the Grey Cup game
Partnership with Google Canada
The CFL has also partnered with Google Canada to provide SEARCH trend data to provide a glimpse inside what Canadians are searching for – from the most popular player searches to Grey Cup Sunday party recipes – during Grey Cup week and on Grey Cup Sunday.
Partnership with Wayin
Wayin, a social visualization platform used by teams such as the Denver Broncos, will be used online and in the stadium to encourage fans to participate on the CFL’s social channels.
Social Content
A big part of making this year’s Grey Cup the most social ever is through original social content.
- Earlier this year the CFL launched a new website TheSnap.ca – a site that looks at the social content that surrounds the league.
- Social Media Correspondents:
- CFL Media released two made for YouTube Series – GameTime with Simoni Lawrence and BootCamp – which will be released throughout the month of November
- Exclusive video content from backstage at the CFL Awards will be offered in stream on Twitter.com/CFL
- The @CFL handle will also be covering the week’s festivities and bringing fans behind-the-scenes action, posting looping 6-second video content via Twitter and Vine
Live Content
Major events during Grey Cup will be streamed live on CFL.ca, including the Grey Cup Head Coaches Media Conference, the Commissioner’s State of the League, post-practice and post-game media conferences.
eLUXE
The CFL announced a partnership earlier this year with online retailer eLUXE’s Connected Collection, which called on Canadian style influencers to promote Grey Cup inspired designs. Designers include TSN/The Social’s Kate McKenna, Canadian recording artist Nikki Yanofsky, MTV personality Aliya Jasmine Sovani, Stephanie Koch of the blog Inherited Jeans and Kira Paran of northenstyleexposure.com. The line of women’s clothing and accessories, called #MyGreyCup, is now available at www.eLUXE.ca.
Reddit AMA with CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon
On Tuesday, November 25, CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon will answer questions from fans from 3 p.m. PT to 4 p.m. PT during a Reddit AMA.
Events
In addition to the Grey Cup Festival and the Grey Cup game itself, traditional events like the Grey Cup Fan March and the Fans’ State of the League are two unique events that promote fan engagement and are true social experiences.
The CP Has Heart Grey Cup Fan March, a tradition started in 2012, gives fans the opportunity to carry the Grey Cup trophy to the stadium on game day. Fans can enter a social media contest to #CarrytheCup at the CP Has Heart Grey Cup Fan March at CFL.ca
The Fans’ State of the League is a town hall type of event, giving fans direct access to the Commissioner. Started in 2009, this is an annual event that is held on the Friday of Grey Cup week.
(CFL)