CHALLENGE: Fourth and long.

New Orleans Saints fans had been through a lot with their team, suffering through years of disappointment. From 2001 to 2002, season tickets sales fell by 10%. The 2003 season would present a great challenge due to the collapse of the 2002 team, who missed the playoffs after a promising start. A campaign would be developed with the goal of reversing the downward trend in season ticket sales and recapturing all of the sales lost in the previous year. In other words, sales needed to get back to 2001 levels, requiring an increase of 11%.

STRATEGY: A creative play call.

No matter what, Saints fans always loved their team. And they knew that, win or lose, the experience of going to the game in the Superdome was different and better than watching the game on TV. The “Don’t You Wish Every Day Was Gameday?” campaign was fun, and a little outrageous. TV featured key Saints players and their beloved cheerleaders, the Saintsations, in everyday situations giving fans an exaggerated helping hand. Print, outdoor and radio showed fans exhibiting gameday behavior, inappropriately, in non-gameday situations. Broadcast, print and local outdoor were selected as the primary media components because they offered high exposure and reach potential. TV and radio carried the most weight due to their ability to forge strong emotional connection with the audience.

RESULTS: First down, Saints!

The response to the campaign was terrific, making it the most successful in team history. A new Saints franchise record for season ticket sales was established, with 53,714 season tickets sold before the first pre-season game, including big gains both locally and regionally. Total sales represented a 39% increase over the previous year’s season ticket sales of 38,553. The campaign had well surpassed the 11% goal.