• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, February 1, 2008

The National Hockey League wants to make one thing clear: NHL is the authority on hockey.

Conveying that message, the league put together a series of television and online ads directing fans to nhl.com, where they can find streaming video and exclusive information about players. The 15-second spots, created by Young & Rubicam, began running this week across a variety of networks and online, including Versus, CBC, NBC, TSN, and NHL Network, as well as NHL.com, and Google's YouTube.

The ads attempt to emotionally connect with a variety of sports fans, but they do target males ages 18 to 34. All five drive consumers to the Web site in an effort to immerse fans in an interactive experience, but also try to get them to turn on the TV and tune into the games even if their favorite teams aren't in the playoffs.

"We think the sport has been underserved by traditional media, and we want to provide them with something unique," says Brian Jennings, NHL's executive vice president/marketing.

The announcer in each ad tells fans that information, from scouting reports to real-time stats, is available on NHL.com. In one ad, a fan yells to Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo from the stands, giving him a scouting report. In another, the spot highlights the fact that Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby has a 65.7% face-off win in the third period.

NHL wants to support the more than 53 million fans across North America with more than stats and statistics through nhl.com and the networks. While there are 53 million fans across North America, most focus on local teams rather than the league. "The issue isn't about getting more fans, but really getting more attention from current fans," says Michael Sussman, executive vice president/director of analytics and planning at Y&R. "We're getting closer to the ice. It's about the game."

Sussman says the NHL fan is tech-savvy, so the digital world is a great place for the league to connect with fans. But the ads not only are intended to drive hockey fans online to learn about teams across the league, but get them to stay and play, view streaming media and videos, rather than just pop online and offline to get last night's scores. The average person, worldwide, spent 31.5 minutes on the NHL.com network in December 2007.

Offering exclusive online coverage has been successful. As of October--the league's most recent numbers--NHL.com's average monthly unique visitors jumped 19%, to 7 million, and average monthly page views grew 10%, to 422 million, compared with the year-ago month.

Along with access to more exclusive information, the NHL wants fans to know they can connect with their favorite teams online from anywhere in the world. So, the league began redesigning its Web site six months ago with a conscious decision to serve, what Jennings calls, the "displaced fan."

On average, 40% of hockey fans are misplaced, meaning they don't live in the region of their favorite team. "Even if you're in Tokyo, you don't need to miss another game, because you can see it online," Jennings says.

The ads will run through mid-March. The focus then turns to the Stanley Cup. The advertisements and marketing message for the game will move the focus to the players, "extraordinary athletes, because what they do on an eighth of an inch of steel is unbelievable," Jennings says.