Outside of the NFL - To College Football, Army - Navy

I know my blog has primarily focused on the NFL, however, today I had the fortunate opportunity to attend the 115th Army-Navy football game up in Baltimore. I had never attended one of these games nor had I watched on on TV. So needless to say, I was shocked at the level of pageantry and tradition that occurred during the game. One thing stuck out to me as I watched the game and the associated sponsorships: Chevy trucks knew how to leverage CSR for their benefit.

First, as I walked towards the stadium, the entrances were lined with demos from different Army and Navy companies. Whether it was a new tank, or the latest stealth speed boat, the military highlighted their newest technologies and different ways to help our soldiers in the field. This external exhibit event was sponsored by Chevy.  Chevy's logo was on almost every tent. Additionally, at the beginning of the exhibit and throughout the concourse Chevy trucks were positioned with different people offering free swag to those who walked by. It drew a nice connection that the military and those individuals who served had Chevy's support but this alone was not the true CSR effort.

At the end of the first quarter, the former CEO of Chevrolet (who was also a Naval Academy graduate) invited a spouse and her daughter onto the field to represent the families of the soldiers serving overseas. After a quick speech, the young lady and her daughter were surprised by the CEO with keys to a brand new Chevy truck in thanks for their sacrifice. The surprise did not end there. As you can see in the video, the young lady's spouse was hidden in the back of the truck. He snuck out of the back and surprised his family. After he appeared, there was not a dry eye in the stadium.

Chevy had taken the chance to fly a soldier back from overseas and so he could surprise his family. In doing so, Chevy recreated the experience many soldiers have faced. That couple created an emotional link between the Army-Navy fans, many of whom have experienced this feeling, and Chevy trucks. Given the reaction from the crowd, I am pretty sure more than a few people will go out or have gone out to buy Chevy trucks. This was a perfect example of using CSR to help increase a brand and expand sales.

On a personal note, below is a photo of me with my Team PHDL teammates: