When basketball fans cheer on their college teams this week, they may notice a seemingly out-of-place advertisement from Buffalo Wild Wings. During one of its busiest times of year, the sports grill and bar is running an ad featuring a football game. The ad is part of a grassroots movement to urge professional football players and owners to settle so fans can enjoy the 2011 season.
“We live and breathe all sports and so do our guests. We know we’ll have a lot of eyes on our ads during the next few weeks. This is our way of saying, ‘We want a football season. Our guests want a football season. Let’s get this thing settled so we can all just focus on the game,’” said Kathy Benning, Buffalo Wild Wings executive VP, marketing and brand development.
The ad kicks off a larger effort encouraging restaurant guests to sign a petition on Facebook urging the two sides to come to an agreement. An open letter on behalf of the fans will be delivered to both professional football players and owners. The company’s Fantasy Football Blogger League also has been called off the bench and into action to rally fantasy football players around this cause.
“Obviously, a professional football season is important to us as a company,” Benning said. “But it’s just as important to our guests, so we’re willing to do what we can to help fans have a voice at the table.”
