Ever mindful that to engage with fans, you have to offer them something that they really need or want, American Express switched up its U.S. Open golf sponsorship activation, which took place June 18-21 at Chamber Bay Golf Course in University Place, WA, to emphasize the mental aspects of the sport.
“We know through our research and insights from our consumers that golfers are interested in improving their game,” says Michele Carr, director-sports sponsorships and strategy at American Express. “We wanted to service the fans by providing a different angle to improving their games, and thus the mind game was born.”
Nearly every aspect of the American Express Championship Experience on-site, and digitally, focused on how to achieve a winning mentality. On-site, the Mind Game Studio featured live appearances and advice from Drs. Bob Rotella and Gio Valiante on how to improve mental focus. Fans could go through a Mind Game Training series of online games and 10 videos with tips to help them improve their focus, perseverance and reaction times on the course. The Trackman Swing Zone, a professional-grade swing analysis tool, this year was modified to challenge fans’ mental toughness on the course with staged distractions that mimicked the challenges the pros face. A Find Your Focus photo opportunity gave fans the chance to capture and share on their social networks a GIF of their swing and the words that inspire them to play their best.
“We have structured the space where you can learn, apply it and share it all in one stop,” Carr says. Fans could also experience the Mind Game Training and a series of vignettes with the sport’s top players on the American Express hub on foxsports.com/amex.
The 80-foot by 80-foot space at Spectator Square, located near one of the main entrances to the venue, also incorporated fan favorites such as the CourseCast Radio, which featured Sirius XM’s live broadcast of the Open. Agencies: Momentum, PMK*BNC, Digitas, Mindshare, New York City; Wasserman Media Group, Los Angeles.
