• by Steve McClellan , September 2, 2011

 

Media giant Comcast is now running a multimedia campaign combining TV, online, social media and experiential elements to promote its Xfinity sports and entertainment programming packages.

The company is literally ripping out some of the best front-row stadium seating at participating Major League Baseball and National Football League venues to execute the experiential part of the campaign.

In place of the seats, the media company has installed giant red couches with Xfinity branding on them -- a select number of lucky fans get to watch a game from this venue. The couches are designed to convey a "best seat in the house" message about the company's Xfinity premium pay packages.

Fans are selected by roving teams of scouts hired by the company who talk to fans at tailgate-type events. The intent is to get diehard fans who usually don't have the best seats when they attend games at the stadium.

Those selected receive free passes to an upcoming game, but are kept in the dark about the exact location they would be watching from or the fact that they would be sitting on a couch about as close to the action as you could get without being on the field itself.

Fan reactions are being photographed for promotional spots.

A Comcast rep said some longer spots showing how the couches are installed and the reactions of some fans that got to enjoy them are online, while TV spots are airing within the Comcast footprint of cable systems. There's also a Facebook page devoted to the couch, and bloggers have been enlisted to talk about it.

So far, participating teams include Philadelphia's Eagles and Phillies, Oakland's Athletics and San Francisco's 49ers and Atlanta's Braves and Falcons, with more to come.

The campaign could continue through the duration of the baseball and football seasons. The company rep said there has not been a decision on a cut-off date. As long as it continues to be well-received by fans and participating teams, the intention is to keep it going.

No word yet on whether the company is getting any lift in Xfinity sales as a result of the campaign. "It's a little early," she said.