<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">It's serious business for the Memphis Grizzlies, trying to sway critics of last season's playing style, halftime shows and concession service. But in this pivotal season after last year's attendance drop, the franchise's advertising campaign is downright playful. "Tell your kids they're going to Dunkyland," reads a billboard in the campaign developed by Red Deluxe, a Memphis firm in its first year with the team. Another piece of the campaign touts season tickets as low as $5 a game as, "just simple dunkanomics." "We've taken a different stand with the campaign. We're going a different direction -- a new, fun, more exciting tone to our art, to our pieces, to our headlines," says John Pugliese, Grizzlies senior director of marketing communications. "We're trying to create a new atmosphere, and this is kind of the bridge to help drive people into the building." Last year's theme -- Every season has a story -- struck a dramatic tone. But the story didn't play out according to the game plan. Attendance fell by more than 1,000 a game and the buzz seemed to leave FedExForum. There were complaints about slow service at the concession stands, the team's deliberate style of play and the staleness of halftime shows and other game-night entertainment. Then the Grizzlies were swept out of the playoffs, again. Team officials vowed to change and improve. They lowered many season-ticket prices and created an NBA-low, $5-a-game season ticket. A remade roster appears better suited to a faster, higher-flying style. The team also formed a Fan Advisory Board to provide ideas and feedback. They also hired Howell McQuain Strategies for public relations, a new step to complement the team's in-house PR. And, the Grizzlies hired a new advertising firm, Red Deluxe, for a role previously performed by Chandler Ehrlich and Conaway Brown. "We really wanted to communicate how exciting the product is by letting the advertising get kind of excited," said Stinson Liles, Red Deluxe principal. </div> Source
