Sunday, at the 2011 NHL All-Star Game in Raleigh NC, the NHL will debut it’s newest marketing campaign. The Guardian Project will debut just before the NHL All-Star Game in a 5 min. segment that will use a combination of on-ice projections and holograms, saving the RBC Center crowd from their arch enemy. What the heck is The Guardian Project you ask ? It is a marketing project that partners up the NHL and the mind behind Marvel Comics… Stan Lee. Guardian Media Ent. and Stan Lee have created 30 superheroes for the NHL. One Guardian for each city or region that has a NHL franchise. Each Guardian has powers that reflect the area or city they represent. After years of the National Hockey League shooting it’s self in the foot, I think they have a winner with The Guardian Project. The marketing campaign is directed at the tech savy youth of today. Trying to get kids interested in sports that might rather sit inside with a comic book or Nintendo DS. As the parent of two young boys, I can tell you that it is working. My kids spent a while looking through the The Guardians website. They sure seem to love it, and have asked about watching the debut.
The Guardian Project sure has some critics too. Hockey purest (funny huh) are all bent out of shape about the marketing project. Really ? I mean come on folks… get a life. The NHL has struggled to grow it’s brand since falling off ESPN’s programing. ESPN would not pay top dollar for the TV rights for the NHL, so they no longer broadcast NHL hockey. That has really hurt the growth of the sport in the United States and this marketing campaign may really make a difference in the long run. No, it’s not the solution to the NHL’s problems here in the states, but it sure is a step in the right direction.
The NHL was not the first choice for Stan Lee and Crew. The NFL was the first choice, but after months of negotiating Lee pulled out of the project. The NFL wanted real players to be the superheroes. Stan Lee wanted the characters to be fictional. He knew that people were flawed and that basing the characters on real people would be a mistake. The NFL would not listen to Lee and insisted on their concept. Well, that was about 6 years ago… and who would you guess the NFL wanted as the lead Hero? None other than Michael Vick… yeah, that’s right. The NFL wanted Michael Vick as the lead Hero of the campaign… wow… Stan Lee was all over that one huh? Can you picture that ??? Mike Vick… “The Pit Bull” or “The Electrocutioner” ? Crazy… man, 
I’m glad somebody had some sense. Good call Stan… LOL !
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