100 Years IN 100 Days

Helping John Deere and Converse commemorate a century of sports history.

SUMMARY

Two big companies were looking to commemorate the past while looking to the future.

Around the same time, the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) was about to celebrate its 100 year anniversary. Because basketball is a HUGE deal in that state, and has been since the IHSAA’s beginnings, we thought that sport would be a perfect fit for Converse and John Deere to help make an emotional connection between these brands steeped in tradition themselves. And thus, the 100 Years in 100 Days campaign was born.

OUR ROLES

Experiential Marketing

Created a “Moving Museum” of basketball memorabilia that toured 30 cities

Public Relations
Web Development
Graphic Design

Our Approach

When you’re dealing with something as beloved and important as Indiana basketball, on the 100 year anniversary no less, you go big or you go home. We went big, and we certainly didn’t go home…not for a while that is. In order to truly celebrate something so vast and community-specific, we came to the conclusion that we needed to BE there. We needed to celebrate Indiana basketball in Muncie and French Lick and Indianapolis. It matters to people because of that tradition, and that’s exactly what we wanted to celebrate.

Solution

BBIM created a multi-tiered event, which traveled the state of Indiana in the 100 days leading up to the Indiana state high school boy’s 100th basketball championship. Our central theme throughout the process was “Down Main Street,” tying the celebration back into those local communities.

We scheduled, organized, and staffed a 100-day statewide memorabilia tour, where thousands of fans go to relive memories and remember the truly amazing moments that define Indiana basketball (beyond just Hoosiers, although, yes, we had plenty of Hoosiers memorabilia). We also hosted the Parade of Champions through Indianapolis, providing in on-site visibility for Converse and John Deere at the parade and the championship game. Finally, we developed a website for the 100 Years of Indiana Basketball, which hosted live broadcasts of the Parade of Champions and reception.

Oh, and someone named Oscar Robertson was a key figure at the parade.

GET YOUR TISSUES READY

The name Oscar Robertson is often mentioned in the same sentences as Jackie Robinson in terms of his influence on ending segregation in sports. And Oscar started that career of excellence in high school at Crispus Attucks in Indianapolis where in 1955 and 1956, he led the Tigers to the state championships, their first ever and the first ever by an all-black high school. Their 1956 team was the first state championship team in history to complete a season undefeated since the tournament began in 1911. Robertson and his team participated in the traditional Champion’s parade in Indianapolis following their tournament wins but not through the historic city center, being limited instead to traveling through the city’s black neighborhoods.

Our 100Years IN 100 Days team wanted Oscar and his teammates to have the chance to experience the Champions Fire Engine ride through city center as part of the 100 Years celebration. So, when we included a 100 fire engine Parade of Champions recognizing all state champions in IHSAA’s 100 year history of high school basketball, we made sure the ’55 and ‘56 Crispus Attucks teams could finally take their Champion’s Ride through City Center along with the Milan Miracle Team and 98 other state champions.

Helping Oscar’s two teams get that special recognition and a ride through the city center from forty years prior remains one of the BRAINBOX team’s proudest moments.

RESULTS

62000

PEOPLE REACHED

STOPS

CITIES

Sometimes, a client/marketer relationship seems too good to be true. Converse and John Deere wanted to connect to the past and look to the future, which the 100 Years in 100 Days Tour delivered on in spades. We successfully targeted a youthful audience for Converse, while linking them to their rich history and the history of Indiana basketball. The event was part of a rebirth for Converse, who reconnected with a youthful audience and stood out in a crowded marketplace.

Converse saw increased traffic to retail outlets across the state thanks to this effort and the statewide media attention the events garnered.

And, of course, we got to meet Oscar Robertson.