Sponsorship Activation with Philadelphia Eagles
For years, sport properties and corporate sponsors have struggled to develop strategies to activate their expansive
partnerships, particularly those without high-ranking national media coverage. This case analyzes a successful,
multilayered sponsorship activation tied to the 2012 retirement of Philadelphia Eagles star Brian Dawkins.
The Eagles, in partnership with AAA and Marvel, created and promoted a unique weekend around Dawkins’
retirement that included a NASCAR race, an NFL Sunday Night Football Game, and a meet-and-greet with
Dawkins; this weekend was marketed extensively across various modes of media. The partners’ goals were to
engage 7 million regionally-based Eagles fans, not just the 70,000 fans who would witness Dawkins’ retirement ceremony inside Lincoln Financial Field during the game. This case illustrates how the partners came
together to achieve common goals, using Dawkins’ image, presence, and positive affinity with Eagles fans.
The case details sponsorship and activation trends, the activation ratio, and other examples of sponsorship
activation tied to athlete retirement. The case asks students to take what they have learned about sponsorship
activation and analyze the Dawkins retirement, discussing what was successful, what was not, and what could
be done for future sponsorship activations in similar situations. 
It was a cool, late summer evening in Philadelphia. The date was September 30, 2012, and the National Football
League (NFL)’s Philadelphia Eagles had squeaked out a 19–17 victory over the rival New York Giants, who missed a
last-second field goal that would have won the game. Off the field, the Eagles had recorded an even more resounding win. In partnership with the American Automobile Association (AAA), and featuring elements with NASCAR and Marvel Entertainment, the Eagles had pulled off an innovative and effective sponsorship activation centered around legendary safety Brian Dawkins’ retirement (DiChiara, n.d.). AAA, an automobile service provider and long-time sponsor of the Eagles, was in the sixth year of a seven-year deal and had just finishing working with the team and a number of other partners on a major and innovative marketing initiative. AAA’s goal was clear and simple: They wanted their activation to reach the entire Eagles fan base, not just the television-targeted audience. Following the game, an executive with AAA (personal communication, February 10th, 2014) recalled telling Eagles staff that, “We are thrilled with the outcomes – thrilled. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears [went into this activation].” NASCAR, a stock car racing league founded in 1948, was able to capitalize on the timing of Dawkins’ retirement ceremony to feature a local sports legend at one of their races. Marvel, an entertainment company that started in the comic book industry in 1939, combined one of their famous superheroes with a famous athlete to concurrently reach a mix of comic book and sports fans.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are an NFL club based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the fifth largest city in the United States (see Appendix D [all appendices available online]). A vibrant city, Philadelphia is known for its arts and culture, tourism, technology cluster, and history. The Eagles franchise has won three NFL titles (1948, 1949, 1960) and has made two Super Bowl appearances (losing in both 1980 and 2004). Established in 1933, the club is known for its devoted fan base (considered one of the most passionate in the NFL) and has been home to many high-profile stars, including 22 Pro Football Hall of Famers (as of 2016). Owned since 1994 by entrepreneur Jeffrey Lurie, the club was valued by Forbes in 2016 at US$2.5 billion. Market research agency Scarborough provided data on the Eagles fan base.
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Sponsorship Activation with Philadelphia Eagles
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