Creating a New Experience for the Next Generation of Buyers

Challenge

Hockey has a problem. Many of its fans are getting older, youth participation rates of the sport are falling, the Maple Leafs was losing relevance with kids.

Solution

What if we let the kids take over?

To help the club appeal to youth and make the game more fun and more accessible we re-imagined an entire NHL game through the eyes of a kid, and designed an immersive series of theme nights called ‘Next Gen’ where we hand the keys of the arena over to the kids. The event was unlike anything hockey has ever done, and unlike anything any fan, young or old has ever experienced.

Results

5X increase in youth attendance, increasing from an average of 1,400 to 7,000 kids in the arena on Next Gen nights.

1.3M total video views across all social platforms.

75K contest entries, most successful contest in brand history.

40% increase in youth apparel sales YOY

Next Gen went on to become a recurring brand event that is now the highest-grossing theme night for the brand.

Awards

‘Marketing Campaign of The Year’ - NHL Awards (2018)