"rangerstown" social/digital concepts

7/26/2019 "Rangerstown" Social/Digital Concepts

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MSG Network / NY Rangers 2015-16

Social/Digital Development

Writing Phase I & II

Loren Schiller



CLIENT

MSG Network / New York Rangers Hockey Club

OBJECTIVE

To build excitement — via social media and digital platforms— for the upcoming 2015-2016 season on MSG.

CHALLENGE

The previous season’s (primarily) on-air campaign conceptintroduced “Rangerstown” as a Pleasantville -style communityin which players appear in fans’ everyday lives. The tone waslight-hearted and humorous.

This season, it’s about going beyond on-air, while leveragingthe familiarity with Rangerstown, through executions thatactivate fans. The tone can remain playful, but also there

flexibility to leverage passion in the team and communitypride.



ASSIGNMENT (PHASE I)

Developing rough sketches of

concepts to spur further

development.



1) CITY CHARTER

A town charter — living principally on Facebook and Twitter — for the fictitiousmunicipality of Rangerstown.

The charter is a living document created, curated and perfected by fans that lays out therights and privileges that come with “Blue Pride”. The tone will be passionate,committed and, given the premise, comedic. Examples of fan-submitted articles andbylaws:

• “Every citizen of Rangertown shall have the right to congregate for games.”

• “The wearing of Boston Bruins colors in public spaces shall be forbidden.”

2) RANGERSTOWN BOARD OF TOURISM

A Facebook page, a Twitter account, a Tumblr site, this concept positions Rangertownas a real destination with a Board of Tourism that puts out newsletter-style pressrelease about real events, personal interest stories, and various goings-on about Townthat speak to the passion and community points. Instead of Facebook page “members”or Twitter “followers”, we brand participants “citizens”.

3) BEHIND THE SPOTS

For each of the on-air spots we create, we produce a “deeper” digital short that livesexclusively on social media. For example, the spot with the player performing StreetcarNamed Desire features a behind-the-scenes look at his preparation. These pieces willbe shot documentary style with to-camera testimonials a la “The Office” or “Parks andRec”. Extended, sharable bites.

What can stimulate players to get involved on social media.

4) DIGITAL POSTCARDS

You can take pictures of yourself rocking Rangers colors, or at the game, then put adigital postcard frame around them and share with friends online. A wall of postcardscould be assembled at MSG during a home-stand.

In a different twist on the user-generated postcards, we let fans unlock digital playingcards and screen-savers from a new series of updated on-air spots featuring players ascitizens of Rangerstown, helping rescue a cat from a tree, helping an old lady cross thestreet, or acting in the local community theater.



Going even further, fans on social media can pitch new Rangerstown scenarios for theplayers to act out (e.g., trick-or-treating, working as a crossing guard). Action shots ofthese scenarios would then appear on the posters and trading cards.

5) MAKE YOUR TOWN RANGERSTOWN

Facebook contest in which fans from different towns and cities in the region compete tomake their town Rangertown. They do so by voting in online contests and writingmessages about their passion for the Rangers. We create a physical “key to the Town”and through the campaign, it makes its way around the region to the town of all finalists-- Stanley Cup-style -- until finding a permanent home in the winning town.

6) RANGERTOWN APP

This app allows fans who download it to unlock daily promotions (themed for theRangers and other passion points) at shops and restaurants in the region.Establishments that participate offer discount codes and other deals (availableexclusively to citizens of Rangertown). Different sponsors can be the “official ______ ofRangertown”.

7) RANGERS-TOWNCARS

In a Facebook content, fans show their passion through posts and shares of themselves

showing their passion. For the winners are rewarded with Lincoln Towncars (possibleUber sponsorship) shuttling to take them to the game. Maybe it’s a single-day promotionand the footage of fans’ journey to the Garden becomes content for digital shorts andsocial media content.

8) RANGERSTOWN AT THE GAME

For a block of home games, the Rangers reserve a seating section that’s branded“Rangertown Central”. Every game, the team invites kids from a different town or schoolto come and fill the section. A public address announcement introduces the kids while

simultaneously re-inforcing the concept of Rangerstown as a feeling, a community andmost importantly, a brand. The point of entry -- that is, how schools are selected -- canhappen through Facebook or YouTube contest.



9) MAYOR OF RANGERTOWN

A competition on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, other key platforms gives fans a chanceto upload images and video of themselves showing or telling their passion in unique andcreative ways. There might be a grandmother from Poughkeepsie who has dyed her

hair Rangers Blue. Or a guy from Yonkers who hasn’t missed a home game in twentyseasons. With so much passion out there, the race for Mayor will be tight.

10) IAMRANGERSTOWN

This simple phrase can live as a hashtag on Twitter and Tumblr. Or become a YouTubechannel where fans can upload video of themselves showing their passion. An“IAmRangertown” Facebook page is another a destination for the passionate to uploadimages and messages of their allegiance to their team.

And in a dynamic, fun application, we build a IAMRANGERSTOWN meme generatormicro-site in which fans can choose humorous stock screen-shots from the on-aircampaign or other team-approved imagery and customize their own captions, to createoffbeat, colorful posters they can then post to the various social media platforms.Overall, the thrust of this campaign is to give fans a clear stake and ownership in theconcept of Rangerstown.

11) 311 HOTLINE

Rangerstown is a community so let’s leverage that idea with a team-themed play on the

well-known New York Public Service Call Center. Here, fans can call (or text) to aRangerstown hotline and report “trouble spots” in their communities where there areopportunities for more passionate fandom or engagement in the team and more,broadly, the sport.

Maybe the local sports bar’s red-and-blue facade needs a new coat of paint. Or theboards on a local hockey rink are in need of repair. This latter example shows how thecampaign can have a true community service element, which for a corporate sponsormeans strong PR in addition to associating their brand with the Rangers.

This concept borrows from Garden of Dreams, a recent campaign which legions of

young volunteers called Rock Corps do four hours of community service in order to gettickets to a corporate-sponsored concert at the Garden. This executions aims to bemore than a PR stunt, but promote a way of life.



ASSIGNMENT (PHASE II)

Per client feedback, refinementand further development of

selected concepts.



RANGERSTOWN CONFIDENTIAL

This concept is based on the client’s idea of creating a

new series of Rangerstown spots.

For each on-air spots we create, extra footage (including

entertaining behind-the scenes interviews a la “The Office”

or “Parks and Rec”) becomes engaging and highly-

sharable “bonus” content that lives exclusively on social

media. For example, the spot with the player channeling

Brando in community theater production of “A Streetcar

Named Desire” could feature a more in-depth look at his

preparation. Bonus content will live in many forms:

extended cuts, alt edits, outtakes from the shoot, and

interviews.



HEROES OF RANGERSTOWN

We will write and develop so that the civilians of

Rangerstown can become iconic characters in their ownright.

Creating characters from the Rangerstown locals will feed

into fun, irreverent, and funny online content. One

example is “digital trading cards”: for the Judge, The Fire

Captain, the Team Captain, Traffic Light Lady, other

characters established in the on-air component. One sideof the card features an action-shot imagery from every-day

Rangerstown life. The other shows a humorous character

bio including nicknames and tongue-in-cheek “everyday-

life” statistics.



MAYOR OF RANGERSTOWN

This execution introduces a social media component tothe “Rangerstown” campaign in which fans compete to be

Mayor of Rangerstown for a night. Those “elected” get to

enjoy a game in true Mayoral style.

Across social media platforms -- Facebook, Instagram,

Twitter, others -- fans upload images and/or video of

themselves showing or telling their passion in unique andcreative ways. The Rangers fan community will be

introduced to the grandmother from Poughkeepsie who

has dyed her hair blue. Or the diehard from Yonkers who

hasn’t missed a home game in twenty seasons. Most-

voted-for fans will be elected Mayor.

It’s only right that the Mayor travels in style. We’ll turnLincoln Towncars (possible Uber or automotive

sponsorship) in “Rangerstowncars” that chauffeur the VIP

to the game. Footage of the epic day can become

sharable digital content across social and digital platforms.



GARDEN OF DREAMS (CHARITABLE)

This activation represents an organic, innovative way to involve the

Rangers’ wide fan base in the team’s charitable initiatives through Garden

of Dreams.

“Rangerstown”, and the spirit of behind it, becomes the underpinning of a

major push to get fans, from the diehards to the samplers, to volunteer in

their communities. We will work with our logistical partner that manages

charitable activations globally to spearhead the campaign.

The way it works is simple. Garden of Dreams works with one of the

Rangers’ charity partners to hold a weekend volunteer project, By giving

four hours of their time, volunteers will get tickets to a Rangers home

game, where they’ll occupy anywhere from a row to an entire section that is

branded “Rangerstown Garden of Dreams.”

During the game, the “Rangerstown” block of seats will appear on the

Jumbotron as the public-address announcers spurs the crowd to “make

some noise” for their work. We can further brand the section: blue velvet

ropes around it, everyone in matching blue or white t-shirts, everyone gets

tiles they hold up for GardenVision that spell out with a bold message like “I

Gave Back. #WeAreRangerstown”

This innovative, organic way to activate the fan base is also a powerful

means of engaging Millenials and Pale Blues who wouldn’t ordinarily go to

games. Filmed content from the project (day) to the game (night) can feed

into a robust social media component of the campaign, further drawing in a

younger (that is, next) generation of fans.

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