Member Article

Wasserman brings the NFL to life with a Piccadilly Circus takeover

Wasserman, the global partnerships and activation agency, helped The National Football League take over one of London’s most iconic locations on Saturday (September 8), as it celebrated the start of the 2018 season with ‘NFL Kickoff on Piccadilly’.

The free event saw Piccadilly closed to traffic as it became a hub of NFL and entertainment activities during a day-long festival to mark the opening weekend of the season. It featured a host of experiential activations, including; on-stage entertainment, displays from NFL cheerleaders and mascots, a family tailgate area featuring NFL-themed games, a kids’ zone with an NFL mini-pitch, and an NFL pop-up shop stocked with a wide range of merchandise.

Against this backdrop was be a screening of February’s Super Bowl LII, complete with explanations and analysis by NFL experts, including the BBC’s Osi Umenyiora and Jason Bell, and Sky Sports’ Neil Reynolds.

The NFL has worked with Wasserman’s experience division for 9 years to bring big events to London, but this is the first time an event has been staged on Piccadilly. It also marks the first time a major fan event has been staged to mark the start of the 2018 season.

‘NFL Kickoff on Piccadilly’ was the most family and music-orientated NFL event and aimed to appeal to everyone. It was designed to build excitement both for the start of the NFL 2018 season, and for the NFL London Games Series, which will take place in October.

Paul Southby, executive director at Wasserman, says; “Nothing is more American than the NFL, and Piccadilly Circus is one of the UK’s most iconic locations. NFL is again showing how committed it is to London’s west end, and it’s great to be bringing these cultural touchstones together to celebrate a great day of fun, football, and family entertainment.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Alex Sampson .