Social media is playing a bigger role in how we follow our “favorite” athletes. I know it was a long holiday weekend, and felt like a slow news weekend. That is why I picked up on a few items that weren’t of the norm.
The first one wasn’t really an athlete, but an athlete’s wife. Bianca Wilfork sent Patriots nation into frenzy, in a good way. “Mrs.75”, as she is known on Twitter and Instagram, updated fans on her husband Vince’s condition since suffering a season ending knee injury.
A small Vine video of Vince grilling and dancing to music went viral. News teams and morning radio shows couldn’t stop talking about it. It was a small glimpse of how much fans crave information on their favorite athletes. Through social media we can see that Vince is human, he likes to cook ribs on holidays just like us.
Another item that happened during the NHL playoffs and that I felt it was brilliant marketing was Aldo Zuppichini’s “Dippin Chips” ugly jersey. Almost everyone has worn a team jersey with their favorite player’s name on the back at some point in their lives. What happened Sunday night at the Rangers Canadian’s game was a first for me.
Zuppichini, a New York Rangers season ticket holder for several years and an astute business man was seated in the front row behind the glass wearing the ugliest jersey to date.
Zuppichini created a game jersey that mimicked his chip bags and wore it to the last three home games for the Rangers during their playoff run. This shirt was so ugly that he has appeared on the rink jumbotron the last three games, with his last game getting him into a national website thanks to tweets about the jersey.
Is this a new type of stealth marketing? Will it catch on?
Who knows but Zuppichini did his job for his Dippin Chip Company getting them noticed nationwide. And all for the cost of an ugly jersey!
