Sports Fest 2004

My family is from Aurora, Ill. While it is the second largest city in Illinois, Aurora has a small town feel to it. Everyone seems to know everyone. Friends made in grade school last a lifetime and the reminiscing never seems to end. Each spring, students in 7th and 8th grade from every school in Aurora participate in Sports Festival, or better known as Sports Fest. The description on the website reads as follows:

"The Aurora Sports Festival is a multi-sport event for Aurora’s seventh and eight grade students. The goal of the Sports Festival is to provide an opportunity for middle school physical education students to participate and compete in health and recreational fitness related activities and special events focusing on the key values of sportsmanship, teamwork, and civic pride.

The objectives of the Sports Festival are to celebrate May as National Health and Physical month and to provide an incentive day for physical education students who maintain an “A or B” in physical education class and are academically eligible."

While this is all true, it is a time for students to socialize with their friends and new people. It is a day everyone looks forward to and that everyone remembers. 

At last year's Sports Fest, there were 945 participants. This year, the 10th annual Sports Fest, is expected to bring in even bigger numbers. So what does all of this have to do with communications and advertising? 

I have been talking with my dad about ways to market and advertise his business, Fairview Dental. Fairview Dental is the most well-known and well-respected dental practices in the Fox Valley area. They continue to be active in the community. They interact with their patients very well whether it is by hosting parties or patient appreciation days. They also extend their resources to the needy every year with their Dentists with a Heart program. Fairview Dental recently updated their website and have a great Facebook page. So now was my chance to be creative. 

During Sports Fest, every student gets a T-shirt with his or her school colors. The front of the T-shirt has the Aurora Sports Fest logo and the back has the logo of all the sponsors.  Seven years later, I still wear my Sports Fest T-shirt....so do my friends and other people in Aurora. It bring us back to those days and we still get to brag about our victories. 

I have worn that T-shirt and seen that T-shirt so many times that I could tell you probably name most of the sponsors on the back. I figured that this was a cheap yet effective way for Fairview Dental to get some lasting advertising while supporting a great cause. With nearly 1,000 participants wearing those shirts around for years to come, everyone will see Fairview Dental's logo on the back.