Dzyuba the conductor and Ovechkin the courier. 5 unusual surprises and promotions from sports stars

Dzyuba the conductor and Ovechkin the courier. 5 unusual surprises and promotions from sports stars

We tell you how athletes get closer to their fans.

Sports is not only hard training and competition, but also emotions. Athletes evoke in fans a sense of pride for the country and their hometown, bring joy from the victory of their favorite team. But there is also the opposite side: bitterness of defeats, anger from the transition of the idol to a hated club, shame for public scandals and fear for the player after a serious injury. That’s why fans especially appreciate those moments when sports stars go out in public and give unexpected and pleasant surprises.

Alexander Ovechkin

In 2017, the Russian forward of the Washington Capitals delivered pizza from Papa John’s to the homes of ordinary Americans in Washington, D.C. as part of a promotional campaign. Alexander visited three homes, talked to the owners and took some photos. All three visits of the hockey player were filmed. As it turned out, not everyone in Washington knows the main star of the Capitals. After enthusiastic shouts of “Oh my God!” at the first delivery point, Ovechkin was met with surprise and silence at the second address. Tatiana Bailey had no idea about No. 8 on her town’s hockey team, and admitted she had no interest in sports at all. In the third and last house, the whole family was happy to see Ovechkin’s arrival.

Similar actions are held in other NHL clubs. For example, Evgeni Malkin once personally delivered season tickets to the homes of Pittsburgh Penguins fans before the start of the new season.

Derrick Rose

For the presentation of a new model of personalized basketball sneakers from Adidas in the summer of 2013, Derrick Rose went to London. In the capital of England, Rose organized a campaign in which everyone could get a pair of new “D Rose 4”. But on one condition: you have to jump up to them. The sneakers were put on a shelf attached under the ceiling in a special room, so that only the most jumping basketball fans could get them.

Sebastian Vettel and Sebastian Buemi

Italian brand GEOX in 2013 called two Formula 1 drivers Sebastian Vettel and Sebastian Buemi to raffle off 200 pairs of shoes. The chance to get 20 pairs at once fell to only 10 lucky winners. To get the shoes, the participants were offered to drive one lap around the track with three-car (at that time) Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel and his namesake Buemi. The action was called “Scream Challenge”. The point is that the main task of the participants is not to scream. One scream – minus one pair. Only three participants took home all 20 pairs, and one girl screamed all the way and was left with nothing.

FC “Zenit”

Not every day you meet your idols in public transportation, and even in the form of conductors.

Three years ago, Zenit striker Artyom Dzyuba became a streetcar conductor for a day as part of the charity project “Let’s Go!”. The goal of the action is to raise funds for the treatment of seriously ill children. To draw attention to the project, footballers Artyom Dzyuba, Andrey Lunev and Yuri Lodygin agreed to do any job and kept their promise. Both goalkeepers also tried on an unusual but useful job. Lunev became Dzyuba’s colleague, checking tickets on the shuttle bus, and Lodygin led tours of the Hermitage. Footballers not only encouraged people to do good deeds, but also gave them a bunch of positive emotions.

Jenson Button

In December 2014, Formula 1 driver Jenson Button took part in the “secret Santa” campaign organized by the largest Spanish bank Santander. The company made a special ATM with a “Jenson” button. The joke is that the racer’s surname – Button – translates from English as “button”. When a bank visitor was going to take cash, the “Jenson” button appeared on the screen, a window opened, through which the real Jenson Button looked at the amazed customers and handed them £100 with the following words: “You wanted to withdraw £20. Wouldn’t you rather have £100?”. Button would then come out of his hiding place and, in addition to the £100, give the bank customers a Christmas hamper of treats. And so it was with everyone who pressed the button.