We Want More Tour
The 7th Annual Awards
- Best Brand Experience or Activation
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
To celebrate the fan, the Lions took the spirit of Detroit on the road through the We Want More Tour presented by Bud Light to celebrate the playoffs state-wide and across international borders engaging with current fans, garnering leads and spreading fandom.
How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?
Detroit is a sports town equipped with loyal fans who travel nationwide to see us play Sunday in and Sunday out. From selling out Ford Field, to setting new decibel records, to creating a home field advantage on the road, Lions fans are an integral part of our story. But as much as we want to engage with our fans at Ford Field and Lions events in the metro-Detroit area, we realize there is a large portion of our fanbase who aren’t able to attend these home games or events due to their location or limited tickets, so the We Want More Tour was created for Lions fans near and far, to celebrate the playoffs in as many hometowns as possible.
The We Want More Tour mobilized fan activation for a significantly higher reach as we brought the experience to the fans. The Tour launched the playoff brand campaign through a high-touch experiential activation that marked one the most widespread fan activations in Detroit Lions history. The fan first activation traveled over 1,527 miles in 10 days and was built to excite and raise awareness of the playoffs locally, state-wide and internationally providing experiential, social and digital extensions.
Objective
The Lions came off a recording breaking 2023 season looking for more with a brand campaign of 'It Takes More'. As we transitioned into the postseason, the campaign evolved into ‘We Want More’. Coming out of back-to-back historic seasons in Detroit, we wanted to find a way to give back to our loyal, widespread fanbase who have never wavered, including all of the Lions fans throughout the great state of Michigan. To celebrate the fan, the Lions took the spirit of Detroit on the road through the We Want More Tour presented by Bud Light to celebrate the playoffs state-wide and across international borders engaging with current fans, garnering leads and spreading fandom.
Strategy & Execution
The tour bus was Lions branded to create maximum impact as it traveled and was followed by a truck and trailer with larger fan activations for built out stops. The tour kicked off at the Spirit of Detroit as we outfitted the statue with a Lions jersey and then appeared in cities such as Lansing, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Ann Arbor and St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula. With our expansion into Canada through the NFL’s Global Markets Program, the bus traveled across the border with two stops in Windsor, Ontario. The bus had brand ambassadors inside engaging with fans no matter where it was in the state. Brand ambassadors gave away Lions premiums to ensure high touchpoints as they traveled.
Scheduled stops were promoted on Detroit Lions social media handles weekly and daily. At each stop, there was a 50-foot by 30-foot activation space where fans could engage with a custom touchdown celebration photo op, tailgate games, giant Lions letters and a ‘Call Dan’ phonebooth - where fans called Coach Dan Campbell to hear one of his motivational speeches or won playoff tickets. Fans were also surprised at stops by Detroit Lions Cheerleaders, Roary and Lions Legends like Jason Hanson.
Organizations
- Detroit Lions
- Activate Inc
- Bud Light
Credits
Emily Griffin
Senior Vice President, Marketing & Brand
Detroit Lions
Samantha Barney
Senior Director, Marketing
Detroit Lions
Andrew Frey
Director, Marketing Events
Detroit Lions
Faelan O'Brien
Marketing Events Coordinator
Detroit Lions
Anna Dabaldo
Manager, Marketing
Detroit Lions
Juliana Ferrandino
Executive Assistant
Detroit Lions
Richie Grimshaw
Partnership Marketing Manager
Detroit Lions
Ashley Strauss
Creative Director
Detroit Lions
Dom Veruink
Creative Manager
Detroit Lions
Jeff Nguyen
Team Photographer & Assistant Creative Director
Detroit Lions
Kirsten Craig
Owner, Activate Inc.
Activate, Inc
Sean Craig
Chief Operating Officer, Activate, Inc
Activate
David Schwartz
Business Development Manager
Activate, Inc
Tara Preyers
Account Director
Activate, Inc
Blaize McIntyre
Operations Manager
Activate, Inc
Celebrate in NYC
Join us for the 7th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 24, 2025 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.
