For many fans, the chance to play at one of professional sports’ more fabled arenas is almost as exciting as the prospect of playing with the athletes themselves. So to promote the premiere of the third season of Pros vs. Joes, a Spike TV show that pits professional athletes against everyday fans, the men's cable channel, led by senior director of marketing Todd Ames, partnered with Madison Square Garden and the guerrilla marketers at the Michael Alan Group to give a few local “Joes” the chance to do both at the Garden on Wednesday morning.
Former New York Knicks stars Charles Oakley and Charles Smith got up with the sun to play two on two with fans in front of a surprisingly rowdy crowd. The mid-court shootouts and games, which ran from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., were just a pit stop on the way to work for most attendees, but that didn’t keep the pairs of challengers from lining up for their chance at seven minutes with the pros. Seven groups got a chance to play over the course of the morning, while an energetic announcer walked the court with a microphone to egg on the “Joes” and, with the help of the Knicks City Dancers, kept the crowd lively. With the standard jock jams and energetic tunes (like Gwen Stefani's "Wind It Up" and the Knicks City Dancers' theme) pumping through the giant arena and the JumboTron showing the game below, the scene was not far off from a regular night at the Garden during basketball season.The biggest challenge was drawing a crowd and enough “Joes” to fill the court at the early-morning hour—the only time the Garden was available. So even though they had been working on the event since November, the Michael Alan Group held out until the week of the event to recruit attendees. “We really thought that it was the kind of thing where people would lose interest if we announced it a month in advance,” said Jessica Murphy, vice president of the Michael Alan Group. “So we went with heavy street teams instead. We had them dressed as referees, handing out fake tickets in the days before the event, and targeted the areas around ESPN Zone and Penn Station.”
The strategic drafting brought in about 200 attendees throughout the two and a half hours. “We spun it as a 'go on your way to work' type of thing,” Murphy said. “But many who had planned to stop by stayed the whole time.”
Former New York Knicks stars Charles Oakley and Charles Smith got up with the sun to play two on two with fans in front of a surprisingly rowdy crowd. The mid-court shootouts and games, which ran from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., were just a pit stop on the way to work for most attendees, but that didn’t keep the pairs of challengers from lining up for their chance at seven minutes with the pros. Seven groups got a chance to play over the course of the morning, while an energetic announcer walked the court with a microphone to egg on the “Joes” and, with the help of the Knicks City Dancers, kept the crowd lively. With the standard jock jams and energetic tunes (like Gwen Stefani's "Wind It Up" and the Knicks City Dancers' theme) pumping through the giant arena and the JumboTron showing the game below, the scene was not far off from a regular night at the Garden during basketball season.The biggest challenge was drawing a crowd and enough “Joes” to fill the court at the early-morning hour—the only time the Garden was available. So even though they had been working on the event since November, the Michael Alan Group held out until the week of the event to recruit attendees. “We really thought that it was the kind of thing where people would lose interest if we announced it a month in advance,” said Jessica Murphy, vice president of the Michael Alan Group. “So we went with heavy street teams instead. We had them dressed as referees, handing out fake tickets in the days before the event, and targeted the areas around ESPN Zone and Penn Station.”
The strategic drafting brought in about 200 attendees throughout the two and a half hours. “We spun it as a 'go on your way to work' type of thing,” Murphy said. “But many who had planned to stop by stayed the whole time.”
Spike TV's early-morning promo at MSG
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash
The two-and-a-half-hour event involved a series of two-on-two matches.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash
Members of the public donned yellow "Joes" jerseys for the game.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash
The promotion brought former New York Knicks Charles Oakley and Charles Smith to the court at the Garden.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash
An announcer provided enthusiastic chatter during the games.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash
The Knicks City Dancers supplied more cheering and entertainment.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash
The JumboTron displayed the competition on the court.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash
The Michael Alan Group's street teams wore referee-style gear and passed out fake tickets in prompting people to attend the event.
Photo: Antonio Lopez
The promotion's giveaways were stress balls in the shape of sports equipment.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash
