The New York Jets and Arkadium, the largest provider of casual game solutions for some of the biggest brands in the world, today announced that four leading national brands and sponsors of the Jets — MetLife, Motorola, SNY and HotelPlanner.com — have integrated their brands in the Ultimate Fan Facebook application.
Ultimate Fan, the first revenue-generating Facebook application to be backed by a professional sports team, makes it possible for sponsors to embrace unique branding opportunities that allow them to build their presence on Facebook while offering potential customers a new way to interact and engage with their brands. The application lets fans be fans by doing online what they would normally do at home and in stadiums — from rooting for their favorite teams and players to predicting game scores and holding a virtual tailgate with fans from across the globe.
"MetLife, Motorola, SNY and HotelPlanner.com are all sponsors of our team that recognize the value of engaging a very targeted audience of sports enthusiasts through Facebook," said Matt Higgins, the Jets' executive vice president of business operations. "Ultimate Fan presents a fantastic opportunity for companies to captivate potential customers while enhancing their brand recognition and identity among sports fans."
"Ultimate Fan gives us an easy way to bolster our Facebook presence while reaching sports fans where they spend a significant portion of time," said Richard Hong, vice president of global brand and marketing services at MetLife. "We're excited to be extending our sponsorship of the New York Jets online in an entertaining and creative fashion."
Here's how MetLife, Motorola, SNY and HotelPlanner.com are integrating their brands in Ultimate Fan:
MetLife
■ Fans have the chance to win a ride in the real MetLife Blimp through a New York Jets-sponsored sweepstakes within Ultimate Fan.
■ MetLife has branded the "Predictions" section of Ultimate Fan, where participants can make game and score predictions for all upcoming games.
■ MetLife has integrated with the "Pride" section of Ultimate Fan by adding images of the MetLife Blimp and PEANUTSTM characters that players can use to create the Ultimate tailgate.
Motorola
■ Motorola is sponsoring the Fan's Playoff in Ultimate Fan, which will present one fan from the team with the most "Boost" by Week 17 to win two tickets to the Super Bowl in Dallas plus roundtrip airfare.
■ Motorola has integrated with the "Pride" section of Ultimate Fan by adding in a free virtual Droid X that participants can use to create their own Ultimate tailgate.
■ The Motorola-branded Droid phone also appears in Ultimate Fan when participants make game predictions or send a gift to a specific NFL player on their Facebook walls.
SNY
■ SNY is sponsoring the "Player Lockers" section in Ultimate Fan, where participants can rate, gift and comment on their favorite NFL players.
■ SNY will integrate with the "Pride" section of Ultimate Fan by offering a free virtual branded TV that players can use to create the Ultimate tailgate.
■ Ultimate Fan will be promoted on Jets Post Game Live and the highest-rated tailgates will be shown on air on Sunday, Dec. 26, after the Jets-Bears game.
HotelPlanner.com
■ HotelPlanner.com has integrated with the "Pride" section of Ultimate Fan by adding in a free tailgate background, snack basket and Party Bus that players can use to create the Ultimate tailgate.
