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Pepsi begins All-Star promotional blitz

by theahl

As title sponsor of the 2004 Pepsi AHL All-Star Classic, to be held Feb. 8-9 at Van Andel Arena, the Pepsi-Cola/Pepsi Bottling Group of Grand Rapids has partnered with Subway restaurants, Walter Dimmick Shell stations, Wesco convenience stores, and D&W and Family Fare grocery stores to promote the American Hockey League’s showcase event in 284 retail establishments throughout West Michigan.

By visiting these retailers over the next month, fans can meet the Grand Rapids Griffins’ all-stars, enter to win a variety of contests, obtain discounts on all-star tickets, and purchase official all-star merchandise.

Pepsi has committed billboard, print and extensive radio advertising to promote these opportunities through its retail partners.

The details of each retailer’s specific all-star involvement are as follows:

  • Subway (150 locations) – Fans may obtain coupons good for $3 off the price of an All-Star combo ticket, which allows admission to both the All-Star Skills Competition on Feb. 8 and the All-Star Game on Feb. 9. They may also enter a contest to win a behind-the-scenes TV tour and the chance to watch the All-Star warm-ups from the players bench.

  • Walter Dimmick Shell (52 locations) – Fans may enter a contest to win four tickets to the all-star game and the chance to watch a period of the All-Star game from the photographer’s box between the player benches. In addition, Griffins All-Stars will make various store appearances during January.

  • Wesco (41 locations) – Fans may enter to win four tickets to the All-Star Skills Competition on Feb. 8, along with the opportunity to serve as an honorary official during the skills event.

  • D&W (22 locations) – Fans may enter to win four tickets to both the Skills Competition and the All-Star Game, along with the chance to serve as referee of a broomball game between AHL mascots during intermission of the All-Star Game on Feb. 9.

  • Family Fare (19 locations) – In-store displays offer a variety of both All-Star and Griffins merchandise for sale, and fans may enter to win a chance to watch a period of the All-Star Game from the photographer’s box between the player benches. Griffins All-Stars will also make store appearances throughout the month leading up to the event.

    “The 2004 Pepsi AHL All-Star Classic is one of the premier events to ever visit Grand Rapids,” said Will Warren, Pepsi’s market unit general manager in Grand Rapids, “and we are proud to enlist the support of these fine retailers to help make this a fantastic time for everyone in West Michigan.”

    The Pepsi Bottling Group is the world’s largest manufacturer of Pepsi-Cola beverages, operating nearly 250 distribution centers in the United States and more than 500 worldwide. Pepsi-Cola North America, the multi-billion-dollar refreshment beverage unit of PepsiCo, Inc., in the United States and Canada, produces such brands as Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, Mug, Slice, and Aquafina. The company also makes and markets North America’s best-selling ready-to-drink iced teas and coffees, respectively, via joint ventures with Lipton and Starbucks.

    The AHL All-Star Classic annually features the top players from all 28 AHL teams and their 30 National Hockey League affiliates. Of the 295 players to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic since 1995, more than 91 percent have competed in the NHL, including Tyler Arnason, Daniel Briere, Andrew Brunette, Anson Carter, Zdeno Chara, Pavol Demitra, Mike Dunham, Patrik Elias, Brendan Morrison, Vaclav Prospal, Dwayne Roloson, Marc Savard, Martin St. Louis, Steve Sullivan and Tomas Vokoun.

    To purchase tickets or obtain more information regarding the 2004 Pepsi AHL All-Star Classic, fans may call the Grand Rapids Griffins office at (616) 774-4585 or (800) 2-HOCKEY, or visit griffinshockey.com/all-star.