OUR WORK | PRIZE COVERAGE
HALF COURT SHOT INSURANCE
Carmex $75,000 Hook Shot
JANUARY 25, 2013 | AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA, MIAMI
Client
The half court shot was created by SCA and Carmex, and sponsored by the Lebron James Family Foundation.
Details
The Carmex Half Court Shot took place on January 25, 2013 during a Miami Heat home game at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, FL.
At half-time, a fan was to randomly be selected to attempt a half court shot to receive a massive payout.
What happened next was unbelievable.
The Promotion
Months of planning complete, everything was ready to go for the big game. SCA Promotions insured the full $75,000 prize, leaving the stress on us and allowing Carmex to reap the rewards of what happened next.
The rules of the half court shot were simple: make the shot, win the grand prize.
The total pool of entries was around 30,000 fans in attendance at the Heat Game. From the crowd, SCA selected a fan at random, Michael Drysch of Illinois.
Mr. Drysch took to center court, wound up, and lunched the ball to the net. At first, the fans and the players didn’t think it was going to go in.
“Then when it was up in the air, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s got a chance,'” Lebron James told reporters after the game. “I was happy to be part of that.”
Success
Mr. Drysch making a half-court shot would have been newsworthy on its own, however, what happens next is really what sealed this promotion as one of the most memorable sports events of all time.
After making the shot, basketball legend Lebron James tackles Mr. Drysch and embraces him in a full-on bear hug. The moment was captured on live TV and is still being circulated in many channels.
After the shot, the event appeared on talk shows, a dedicated ESPN commercial and was even mentioned by President Obama after the Heat’s championship visit to the White House.
Hundreds of articles and more than 125 million YouTube views resulted in a flood of brand recognition for Carmex, as well as sponsor Lebron James Family Foundation. In the 10 years since, buzz is still being generated from the promotion.
