Trend Spotted: 13 Larger-Than-Life Sports Stunts We're Still Thinking About

To celebrate the new season of its original series Reacher, Prime Video brought a 15-foot action figure of the title character to Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium during Thursday Night Football Dec. 14. The activation space, located just outside the stadium, also featured a live performance from DJ PZB, photo ops, prizes, and more. There were also Reacher-inspired challenges, including a pushup contest and the chance to decode a puzzle inspired by the new season; fans who completed the challenges unlocked exclusive prizes like signed books, meal gift cards, car decals, and more. Prime Video worked with Little Cinema on the stunt.

The towering figure started the day in an oversize toy box before being taken around stadium grounds and eventually inside the venue. “This activation builds on the successful first season by promising fans that the Reacher everyone loves is back and bigger than ever, emphasizing Reacher's towering size in an impactful and conversation-provoking way,” said the Amazon MGM Studios team in a joint statement to BizBash. “Bringing a larger-than-life Jack Reacher action figure to a culturally relevant moment like Thursday Night Football is about portraying our hero’s physical dominance while uniting football and Reacher fans alike to celebrate the premiere of season 2.”

In 2021, Dos Equis worked with creative agency MKG to build a state-of-the-art robotic brass band jukebox in the shape of Dos Equis’ XX logo. The 36-piece, 8-by-10-foot band was fully fabricated with working instruments; it traveled to football games every Saturday throughout the Sun Belt Conference that year, and capped off the season with an appearance at the 2022 Rose Bowl.

David Butler, then a senior creative at MKG, said that standing out in the college football space can be a challenge for brands. "As Intersport, Dos Equis' sports strategy agency, pointed out early on in the ideation process: College football fans already think tailgating is perfect," he explained. To gather some insight into what would work, the teams spent time interviewing football fans about what they love about game day. "We heard over and over again how much people love the energy the band brings to the experience—so much so that many were listening to fight songs and school songs during the tailgate. That felt like a genuine place where we could add value: Instead of hearing a brass band through a dinky Bluetooth speaker, what if we really turned up the volume on game day by bringing the band to the tailgate?"

To add more branding moments and engagement opportunities, the robotic band was accompanied at games by a full-service Dos Equis bar and an oversize foam finger for photo ops. See more: Why Dos Equis' Rose Bowl Activation Includes a 36-Piece Robotic Brass Band

Ahead of this month's highly anticipated Army-Navy Game, presenting sponsor USAA wanted to commemorate the revolutionary showdown in a way that rivals the likes of 1773. Working with agency partner 160over90, USAA unveiled a 374-pound bag of tea, a symbolic combination of the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party and the 124th Army-Navy Game.

“We know that live-event audiences prefer to engage with activations that are authentic and have a believable reason for being. In collaborating with USAA to bring USAA’s Big Bag of Tea to life, we saw audiences loved the creativity of the activation, both in person and on social media," said Josh Pate, senior vice president of global experiential at 160over90. “For a game that is deeply rooted in tradition, it was exciting to open the week with a creative new activation that was celebrated throughout Boston and beyond.”

Tea was sourced from three veteran-owned small businesses and was imported to the site of the USS Constitution for public display. The bag of tea then traveled throughout the city for the Patriot Games parade Dec. 8, as well as the Fan Fest activation at Gillette Stadium that same evening. The display was then donated to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum for its historic celebration Dec. 16.

For the USAA team, the stunt was all about finding a unique way to celebrate the sports rivalry in the birthplace of the American Revolution. “Featuring tea sourced from three veteran-owned tea companies, USAA was able to support the military community while celebrating the 124th playing of the Army-Navy Game and the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party," said Jen Escobar, senior marketing officer at USAA, who playfully refers to the stunt as "MASSive," a nod to its Massachusetts setting. "The 374-pound bag of tea made its way around the city over the course of the week, and extended even further with record-breaking results on social media.”

American Express’ fan experience at the 2018 U.S. Open featured interactive stations, photo ops, and an on-theme design. A playful photo area for fans was a branded Game of Thrones-inspired throne, created with tennis balls and oversize golden tennis rackets. See more: U.S. Open 2018: 19 Event Highlights From the Tournament's 50th Anniversary

Energy drink brand CELSIUS partnered with YouTube star and influencer David Dobrik in 2023 to put on its first-ever pickleball classic in LA. The bracket-style tournament—with celeb players like Taylor Lautner, Olivia Culpo, and Matt James—was held Aug. 25 in Dobrik's backyard. A fun touch? A massive pickleball paddle and ball, built by Sunami Fabrication. "This touchpoint was such a hit [that] David still has it in his backyard," said Kyle Watson, executive vice president of marketing at CELSIUS. See more: This Energy Drink Brand Hosted a Backyard Pickleball Tournament for Charity

The 88th edition of the annual meeting of NFL franchises was held April 27-29, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. This year’s outdoor NFL Draft spanned 3 million square feet and included the Chiefs Kingdom Experience, the largest on-site, club-sponsored draft activation in NFL history. A highlight? A life-size bobblehead of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. See more: How the 2023 NFL Draft Grew Bigger and Better with Fan Activations

During Super Bowl weekend in 2022, the NFL hosted its inaugural “A Look Into the Future” breakfast co-sponsored by PepsiCo Inc. The Los Angeles event was centered on three separate panels intended to open discussions on how the league is driving change, creating impact, and ultimately becoming “stronger together” heading into 2022. Beyond the panel discussions, the NFL’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion tapped minority-owned businesses for the event, including oversize floral footballs and cleats created by Empty Vase. See more: Super Bowl LVI: 38 Event Highlights From the Biggest Parties and Brand Activations

The MLB FoodFest took place in Los Angeles in 2019, offering activities such as the oversize "Weiner-totter." MKG produced the event.

At the recent Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, a Heineken-sponsored hospitality space took on a “Neon House” theme. It featured programming by Corso Marketing Group and production by Blueprint Studios. Oversize driver helmets served as decor. See more: Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix: Behind the Scenes of the Race's Biggest Events

As the official hotel sponsor of the U.S. Open in 2021, IHG Hotels & Resorts created a tennis installation, called “Tennis in Wonderland,” inside a room at Kimpton Hotel Eventi in New York City. The sports-inspired upgrade included a tennis racket chandelier, furniture made out of tennis balls, and 3D wall art. See more: See How Brands Are Courting Fans at This Year’s U.S. Open