Commentary

What's The Frequency, U of K Football?

by Amy Corr , Staff Writer, July 6, 2009

College students and alumni alike love college football. The levels of love and loyalty, however, differ from person to person. The University of Kentucky created a traditional campaign that rewards its hard-core, loyal fan base with added zip.

The work begins with billboards. Thirty-two were purchased and placed throughout the state in areas with the largest population of alumni and season-ticket holders. Look for ads in various locales, including Lexington, Louisville, Bowling Green, Frankfort, Richmond, Winchester, Somerset and Pike County.

Creative is straightforward: A picture of football players in action is coupled with one of the nine lines that make up the University of Kentucky fight song.

On, On, U of K

We Are Right For The Fight Today

Hold That Ball And Hit That Line

Ev'ry Wildcat Star Will Shine

We'll Fight, Fight, Fight For the Blue & White

As We Roll To That Goal Varsity

We'll Kick, Pass And Run

Till The Battle Is Won

Bring Home The Victory

For dedicated fans, the fun began July 1. The billboards in Lexington and Louisville were outfitted with radio transmitters that play "On, On U of K," sung by university cheerleaders 24/7. The song can be heard from a mile away on a designated radio station.

Nothing on the billboards allude to the station frequency, or the fact that these are singing billboards. The only place you'd find the radio frequency is online chat rooms, most likely frequented by fanatic fans, as opposed to your average football watcher.

"It was time to do something more than a high-impact visual. So we recorded "On, On U of K" with our cheerleaders and gave our fans something to pump them up when they drive around town," said Jason Schlafer, UK's associate athletics director. "The visuals were great, but nothing gets the juices flowing for football like the fight song."

Cornett-IMS created the campaign and Right Place Media handled the media buy. Cornett-IMS also devised a scavenger hunt around the billboards that rewards the winner with a pair of 2009 season tickets.

Players must find all nine lines from the U of K fight song on nine different billboards and take pictures of each. Next, upload the pictures to a flickr account and send the link to contests@ukfightsong.com for verification. The fan that emails all nine pictures in first gets the season tickets. Second and third prize contestants receive tickets to the Miami of Ohio game in Cincinnati and Alabama game, respectively.

Anyone that sends in all nine lines will receive free UK apparel.

Take note Kentuckians: there are multiple billboards containing the first eight lines; there is only one billboard that reads, "Bring home the victory."

The billboards will remain up untiil September, the start of football season.

Good luck bringing it!

music, out-of-home, promotion, sports

3 comments about "What's The Frequency, U of K Football?".

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Dave Kohl from First In Promotions, July 6, 2009 at 4:27 p.m.
An interesting idea, but what is the purpose?
If the billboards are in areas already populated by a lot of season ticket holders, how many more season ticket sales will these likely generate, compared with the cost of this campaign?
If it is to raise awareness of their football games, then why not involve the radio and local TV stations which carry the games?
In addition, the billboard in the photo also shows what looks a lot like a U. of Louisville player. The red color in the uniform actually looks more prominent than the U. of Kentucky "road" uniform does.
Many, if not all, true U. of Kentucky fans resent anything U. of Louisville infringing on anything U. of Kentucky.
How is this a "traditional" campaign, as the article states? And, again, what is its purpose?
Reply

Christy Hiler from Cornett IMS, July 7, 2009 at 9:22 a.m.

Dave,

The billboard you mention above has a photo of UK dominating UofL. Side note: This billboard is located next to Louisville's Papa Johns Stadium.

The purpose of the campaign is to get Kentucky fans pumped for the upcoming season. To turn people that go to one or two games with someone else's tickets into season ticket holders.

Christy Hiler
Cornett IMS
www.cornett-ims.com

bob kochuk, July 9, 2009 at 11:12 a.m.

The purpose, ol' skeptical Dave, might just be to get free publicity like this.

I like the idea, but it might be more useful to include the frequency on the billboard. Then even the non-fanatics get in on the fun.