Aside from gaming, one of my other interests is Triathlons. If you think video games are expensive, try a sport that requires constantly upgraded or maintained equipment across 3 different disciplines. Then there are the entry fees just to compete.
In looking for a way to reduce some of those costs, I started looking for sponsorship in my sport which led me to
Loop'd. Loop'd is a place where athletes of all levels can find sponsors for any of dozens of different sports. Motor sports, including motorcross and all-terrain vehicles, which is where
THQ came in.
THQ created a sponsorship opportunity for 150 athletes in each sport (MX and ATV). 25 at the national level, and 125 at the regional level. Obviously, some of these athletes are not yet at the top of their sport, which makes for a cool grassroots marketing approach. The sponsorship included a copy of
MXvATV: Reflex and other game related swag. The national level sponsorships had more swag.
What I found truly interesting about this is that this was a case of a publisher reaching out to its core constituency, specifically for a niche game, and asking these folks to spread the word. Plus, it gives these riders the benefit of being associated with a highly known game publishing house, which can only help increase their visibility within the sport.
While the sponsorships are now full,
THQ has been releasing weekly video podcasts to support the process, and is also running a photo contest to help determine which sport is truly surpreme.
