The San Jose Sharks are the NHL team of The Bay Area and NorCal. There is a rabid fanbase in San Jose, but attendence was slipping and season ticket sales were down. The Sharks hired Division of Labor, one of the top advertising agencies in San Francisco. And the goal was to reignite passion and season ticket sales. Josh Denberg is a freelance copywriter in San Francisco who also happens to be a hockey fan. So the fit was perfect.

Too often, sports advertising ignores the fans and focuses only on the players. Reasearch found that for season ticket holders, and fans in general, when they feel a part of the team, they are more likely to remain loyal during down times. Josh Denberg is a freelance copywriter who understands the importance of focusing on that single piece of truth that can resonate with the audience. For these two campaigns, “You cheer for us, we’ll cheer for you.” and “They’re not much fun at your house, come watch them at our house.” the relationship between fans and players is the main focus.

Humorous advertising campaigns have been among the most effective forever. People like funny. Especially when it comes to commercial messages. Funny ads are the most talked about and most recalled. Always. For sports advertising, humor is incredibly effective IF it’s done right. There is nothing worse than poorly executed humor. As a freelance copywriter in San Francisco, Josh Denberg has written some pretty funny campaigns and they have all been incredibly effective.