Number 104
Image source: NHL
NHL's Stanley Pup:
All-Star Canines Seek Forever Homes
Featured Focus:
Community Programs, Partnerships for Good, Health & Wellness
Scope of Impact: National
The NHL is leveraging its massive platform to showcase rescue dogs ready for adoption through their "Stanley Pup" event. This initiative is a powerful confluence of sports and animal welfare. Here’s what you should know:
Star-Powered Adoption Drive: The "Stanley Pup" features adorable, adoptable dogs representing NHL teams, often with celebrity and player involvement, drawing immense public attention to animal shelters.
Strategic Partnerships for Life: Collaborations with organizations like Petco Love and local rescue groups ensure that these events directly facilitate adoptions, provide crucial funding, and support the broader animal welfare ecosystem.
National Reach, Local Impact: Broadcast nationally, the "Stanley Pup" inspires viewers across the country, while directing specific attention and resources to local shelters and rescue operations.
This initiative ingeniously merges the fervor of the Stanley Cup with the imperative of animal welfare. All 32 NHL teams are represented by a pup who needs to find a new home. If Petco Love, Bissell, and Blue Buffalo are joining forces for this project, their involvement goes way beyond your typical corporate sponsorship deal. It helps create an emotional connection and a friendly competition that reinforces team loyalty.
We love the video introductions and profiles to introduce the puppies to the public the same way fans are used to seeing the their favorite players.
The inclusion of beloved sport figures and also entertainers helps the NHL broaden its reach. It raises the question of responsible dog ownership and the critical work of rescue organizations. This initiative has a tangible impact and proves that sports can be a great catalyst for the well-being of their local communities.
The NHL and its partners increased the number of dogs this year to match the number of NHL franchises, responding to the frustration of the 16 teams that weren’t represented last year.
We’d go a step further and create an entire dog clothing line and the possibility for dog owners to customize jerseys for their pups. They could also share the pup profile template with their fans on social to make them engage even more with the format.
This initiative is a great example of how an unlikely partnership between the NHL and Petco Love has continued to be successful and to evolve since its inception last year. So, here’s our challenge: how can you think outside the box to forge a similar alliance that would help you bring a different audience to your front door?
