--- title: Off the Wall, On the Board (copy) | 7th Hashtag Sports Awards description: Global awards recognizing excellence in fan engagement and celebrating creativity across sports marketing, media & entertainment image: https://www.hashtagsports.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Assets-AF-2025/GnQaeaRO-os7UFv9tmt-file.png --- Off the Wall, On the Board (copy) | 7th Hashtag Sports Awards [The 7th Annual Awards](https://www.hashtagsports.com/awards/shortlist-2025?hsLang=en) # Off the Wall, On the Board (copy) [OC Sports and Entertainment](https://www.ocvibe.com/) ![Image](https://www.hashtagsports.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Assets-AF-2025/GnQaeaRO-os7UFv9tmt-file.png?width=1920&height=1080&name=GnQaeaRO-os7UFv9tmt-file.png) Share [** ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hashtagsports.com%2Fawards%2Fshortlist-2025%2Foff-the-wall-on-the-board-copy) [** ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hashtagsports.com%2Fawards%2Fshortlist-2025%2Foff-the-wall-on-the-board-copy&text=Off+the+Wall%2C+On+the+Board+%28copy%29+%7C+7th+Hashtag+Sports+Awards) [** ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hashtagsports.com%2Fawards%2Fshortlist-2025%2Foff-the-wall-on-the-board-copy) ABOUT THIS ENTRY What are three perfect pairings for the Southern California sunshine? Skate, surf, and maybe surprisingly…hockey! Over the course of 30 years, The Anaheim Ducks have been sewn into the fabric of local culture – a local culture that happens to also be a global phenomenon. In celebration of 30 years of Anaheim Ducks hockey, they teamed up with their legendary OC neighbors at Vans for a first-of-its-kind collaboration on three pairs of limited-edition shoes honoring the team’s history and the passionate fan bases of both brands. Over the course of eight months, teams from both brands worked to design three unique shoes that were unveiled in March 2024 at Vans Night, a skateboard culture themed hockey game. ![Image](https://www.hashtagsports.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Assets-AF-2025/GnQaeaRO-os7UFv9tmt-file.png?width=1920&height=1080&name=GnQaeaRO-os7UFv9tmt-file.png) How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"? By creating the first ever shoe collaboration between Vans and a professional sports team, the campaign gained a global interest from over 84 countries. While intially intended to be an offering for ticketed fans, the demand the social campaign generated was so high people from around the world demanded access to the shoes. It created a unique set of activations and products that demonstrated how sports teams can foster both local and global fandom simultaneously through celebrating local roots while bringing in fans from around the world. Objective The Anaheim Ducks' 30th anniversary campaign with Vans was created to deepen fan loyalty and expand the team's base by creating an iconic celebration of both brands' heritages that aimed for an overwhelmingly positive fan sentiment and a rapid sellout of the limited-edition shoes and tickets to the home game for "Vans Night." Additionally, it sought to cross-pollinate fan bases, introducing Vans enthusiasts to Ducks hockey and vice versa, with the goal of significantly increasing first-time ticket buyers and return ticket buyers. Importantly, it aimed to attract new audiences to Ducks games, introducing the excitement of hockey to a broader Southern California demographic, while reinforcing the team's status as a beloved local institution with global appeal. Generating organic reach and engagement was an addtional objective on top of ticket and shoe sales. Strategy & Execution The strategy was to leverage 30 years of local heritage of both the Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club and Vans to deepen fan connections and drive arena attendance. Merging hockey tradition with Southern California street culture, to create a unique, collectible experience that transformed casual supporters into passionate advocates. Three shoes designs were released. "Legacy" featuring a high top in classic plum and jade team colors, "Players Edition" featuring the 30th anniversary logo and "Wild Wing" an orange and white checked slip-on with the classic Ducks logo in a nod to the team's mascot. The campaign built intrigue through a social campaign that teased the partnershp and shoes through a video series featuring Wild Wing and Steve Van Doren, the son of Vans founder Paul Van Doren. Season ticket holders were given an opportunity to pre-order, leading to 1,000 pairs sold and on game day, fans started lining up at the Honda Center as early as 6 a.m. for a chance to grab one of the 2,000 remaining pairs of the limited-edition shoes. At Vans night, Honda Center’s outdoor patio was transformed into a giant pop-up skate shop, featuring food trucks, unique photo opportunities, and autograph sessions with SoCal skateboarding legends. ** Nominations ** - Best Brand Sponsorship **Organizations** - OC Sports and Entertainment - Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club - The Syndicate **Credits** **[ Tracee Larocca](https://www.linkedin.com/in/traceelarocca/) ** CMO OC Sports and Entertainment **[ Merit Tully](https://www.linkedin.com/in/merit-tully-469a8a8a/) ** CMO Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club **[ Trenten Nielsen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/trentennielsen/) ** Director Anaheim Ducks Performance Marketing Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club **[ Laura Marttinen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauramarttinen/) ** Director, Anaheim Ducks Brand Marketing Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club **[ Alex Gilchrist](https://www.nhl.com/ducks/) ** Senior Director, NHL Communications & Broadcast Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club **[ G.M. Ciallella](https://www.nhl.com/ducks/) ** Digital Marketing and Analytics Manager Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club **[ Stephanie Ericsen](https://www.nhl.com/ducks/) ** Digital Marketing Specialist Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club **[ Patrice Speed](https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricespeed/) ** Vice President, Executive Creative Director OC Sports and Entertainment **[ Wes Tiongco](https://www.linkedin.com/in/wes-tiongco-92739345/) ** Associate Creative Director OC Sports and Entertainment **[ Amanda Le](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanndaale/) ** Senior Designer OC Sports and Entertainment **[ Lauren Parker](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren--parker/) ** Vice President Content OC Sports and Entertainment **[ Matthew Lindblad](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewlindblad/) ** Senior Content Producer OC Sports and Entertainment **[ Sanh Tran](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanh-tran-841986185/) ** Video Editor OC Sports and Entertainment **[ Samantha Glanz](https://www.nhl.com/ducks/) ** Publicist Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club **[ Adam Brady](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-brady-22581624/) ** Director Publications & Digital Content Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club **[ Tyler Pistoia](https://www.nhl.com/ducks/) ** Digital Content Producer Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club **[ Jill Bauer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-bauer-05604040/) ** Senior Director Merchandising Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club **[ Lizette Gutierrez](https://www.nhl.com/ducks/) ** Retail Operations Manager Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club **[ John Buehler](https://www.nhl.com/ducks/) ** Manager Inventory and Merchandise Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club **[ Jeanette Encino](https://www.nhl.com/ducks/) ** Manager, E-commerce Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club **[ Jon Landman](https://www.thesyn.com/) ** Managing Partner & CEO The Syndicate **[ Graham Rothenberg](https://www.thesyn.com/) ** President & General Manager The Syndicate **[ Amy Tremmel](https://www.thesyn.com/) ** SVP, Marketing and Events The Syndicate **[ Jake Wagner](https://www.thesyn.com/) ** Senior Manager, Music Supervision The Syndicate **[ Max Falvey](https://www.thesyn.com/) ** Senior Manager, Marketing & Events The Syndicate **[ Sami Miller](https://www.thesyn.com/) ** Account Manager The Syndicate #### INSPIRED TO ENTER WORK? 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