Mark Messier, Doug Gilmour and Guy Carbonneau team up to help Canadians compete for a chance to bring home the “Holy Grail” of hockey!
It comes as no surprise that hockey is Canada’s most treasured sport, and Canadian hockey fans young and old dream of being able to touch the Stanley Cup® and spend time with the legendary Canadian hockey players who have won this coveted honour. Such huge aspirations may seem completely impossible, but maybe not! The Pepsi®, Lay’s® and Gatorade® brands are back for a fifth year with an exciting new program twist called Bring Home a Stanley Cup ChampionTM that will make these dreams come true.
Bring Home a Stanley Cup ChampionTM is the latest evolution of the Bring Home the CupTM contest which began in 2006. In past years, Canadian amateur hockey teams have been asked to submit why they deserve to Team Up and Bring Home the CupTM for the chance to win a visit from Canadian hockey icon Mark Messier and the Stanley Cup®, but in 2011, there are three exciting new changes to the campaign:
- All Canadian hockey fans will be given the chance to participate.
- Mark Messier will be joined by fellow Stanley Cup® Champion legends Doug Gilmour and Guy Carbonneau. Each hockey legend will represent a Canadian region (Messier for the West, Gilmour for Ontario and Carbonneau for Quebec and the Atlantic), and local finalist, and they will rally behind Canada’s hockey fans along the way.
- In addition to the grand prize (which includes a visit from the winning finalist’s regional Stanley Cup® Champion and the Stanley Cup® delivered during the winner’s Ultimate Playoffs Party for friends and family, to be featured as a segment on TSN), there will also be amazing prize experiences for the second and third place finalists.
“As hockey players, I think I can safely speak for Doug and Guy, when I say that we all know the thrill and excitement of holding the Stanley Cup® and what it’s like to look up to some of our favourite Stanley Cup® Champions,” said Mark Messier, former Stanley Cup® champion. “The Bring Home a Stanley Cup ChampionTM program encourages Canadians to share their passion for the game and we look forward to delivering a significant piece of that hockey history to one standout fan.”
“This year, we’re thrilled that ALL Canadians will have the opportunity to show their love and enthusiasm for our National sport,” said Susan Irving, Director of Marketing, PepsiCo Foods Canada. “Not only will the grand prize winner experience a once in a lifetime opportunity, but the second and third place finalists will also be rewarded with intimate at-home Playoffs Parties to be enjoyed with their regional Stanley Cup® Champions.”
To enter the contest, Canadian hockey fans are asked to share their Favourite Stanley Cup Playoffs moment by submitting a minimum 100 word story with or without a picture. Entries can be submitted online through the Bring Home a Stanley Cup Champion™ website, www.bringhomeachamp.ca until April 17, 2011.
“This contest has become a yearly tradition in the Canadian marketplace and we at the NHL always look forward to working alongside Pepsi®, Lay’s® and Gatorade® to make the campaign even better for hockey fans year after year,” said Brian Jennings, NHL Executive Vice President of Marketing. “What’s exciting about this year’s campaign is that it offers something new and different to consumers, giving more than just one lucky winner the chance to experience the hockey dream of a lifetime.”
Three regional finalists (one from the West, Ontario and the East) will be chosen by a judging panel and tasked with producing an inspiring and creative online video that explains why they should be chosen to Bring Home a Stanley Cup Champion and the Stanley Cup® trophy. They will each be challenged to rally for the most votes by using their own social media networks to promote their videos. Canadians will then decide which lucky finalist deserves to Bring Home a Stanley Cup ChampionTM and the Stanley Cup® by voting online for their favourite finalist between May 2 and May 15, 2011.
To generate even more community engagement and support this year, all Canadians who register online to vote will not only have the opportunity to vote for their favourite finalist, but they will also be entered into a random draw for one of seventy-five coffee gift cards, valued at $100 CDN.
“Seeing the smiles that this contest has brought to people’s faces over the past four years is why Pepsi®, Lay’s® and Gatorade® continue to bring this program to life,” said Julie Raheja-Perera, Senior Director of Marketing, PepsiCo Beverages Canada. “This year, Canadians have the chance to do things they wouldn’t normally be able to do – get close to the Stanley Cup® and meet one of three outstanding Canadian Stanley Cup® Champions.”
For official contest rules and to enter the Bring Home a Stanley Cup ChampionTM contest, visit www.bringhomeachamp.ca.
About PepsiCo Canada and Bring Home a Stanley Cup ChampionTM
The Bring Home a Stanley Cup ChampionTM program is sponsored by the Pepsi®, Lay’s® and Gatorade® brands and supported by the National Hockey League (NHL). The Pepsi®, Lay’s® and Gatorade® brands each have a long history of supporting hockey and PepsiCo is an official sponsor of the NHL® and the NHLPA.
PepsiCo’s businesses in Canada are organized into two business units. PepsiCo Foods Canada includes Frito Lay Canada and the Quaker Foods & Snacks business. PepsiCo Beverages Canada includes Pepsi-Cola Canada, Gatorade and Tropicana. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.ca.
PepsiCo offers the world’s largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 18 different product lines that each generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. The main businesses – Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade – also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to Consumers in over 200 countries, including Canada. With more than $43 billion in worldwide 2008 revenues, PepsiCo employs 198,000 worldwide who are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose. By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.
About the NHL
The National Hockey League, founded in 1917, is the second-oldest of the four major professional team sports leagues in North America. Today, the NHL consists of 30 Member Clubs, each reflecting the League’s international makeup, with players from more than 20 countries represented on team rosters. According to a Simmons Market Research study, NHL fans are younger, more educated, more affluent, and access content through digital means more than any other major professional sport. The NHL entertains more than 250 million fans each season in-arena and through its partners in national television (VERSUS, NBC, TSN, CBC, RDS, RIS, ESPN America, ASN and NHL Network™) and radio (NHL Radio™, Sirius XM Satellite Radio and XM Canada). Through the NHL Foundation, the League’s charitable arm, the NHL raises money and awareness for Hockey Fights Cancer™ and NHL Youth Development, and supports the charitable efforts of NHL players. For more information on the NHL, log on to NHL.com.
NHL, the NHL Shield and the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup are registered trademarks and Bring Home a Stanley Cup Champion name and logo and Team Up and Bring Home the Cup are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.
