July 6, 2010
="" alt="Knight Head" border="0" class="imported"> Read John Denton's Knights Insider | ="" alt="Twitter Logo" border="0" class="imported">Follow us on Twitter | ="" alt="Facebook Logo" border="0" class="imported">Get social with the Knights on Facebook
How to UKNIGHT With UCF Football Through Affordable 2010 Season Ticket Packages
By John Denton
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO (UCFAthletics.com) - Just in case UCF supporters and football fans all across Central Florida haven't gotten the message yet - and the odds are that they have based on the sheer numbers - it's time to ``UKNIGHT'' behind the football program.
UCF unveiled its massive advertising campaign on Monday, hoping to blanket most of Central Florida with good vibes about the upcoming football season and a message for fans to rally behind the athletics program.
UCF teamed with Orlando-based marketing firm Push., a company composed primarily of UCF alums and backers, to come up with the "UKNIGHT" theme for the upcoming season. The short, active theme plays off UCF's mascot, Knights, and asks fans to bond together behind Central Florida's only major college football program.
The mission is to reach out to the more than 100,000 UCF alumni in Orange and Seminole Counties and the additional 30,000 in Brevard County to unite behind the program and purchase season tickets. UCF is hoping to return its season-ticket base for football games inside sparkling Bright House Networks Stadium back above 20,000.
UCF and Push. have also developed informative game-day guides for new fans, detailing where they can go to tailgate, listen to live music and pregame shows and where to pick up tickets.
``Outside of the (NBA's) Magic, UCF is Orlando's big-time national program,'' said Push. director Jason Poinsette. ``There's really no reason why people in Orlando shouldn't get behind UCF and help it become great.''
The advertising campaign should reach UCF supporters and football fans in the area in some avenue of media. Billboards touting the ``UKNIGHT'' theme are strategically placed along I-4 and S.R. 408 and 417 and near UCF's campus. "UKNIGHT"-themed commercials, made up of 15,000 still photographs shot at the spring game, will appear on local television stations and cable outlets.
And in addition to radio spots, the "UKNIGHT" advertisements will also be on 79 movie theater screens in July and August, showing 2,200 times per week before movies. And there will also be campaigns through Facebook, Twitter and E-mail in an effort to bring together UCF's massive fan base behind what very well could be a special season for the Knights.
UCF returns 17 starters on offense and defense and is expected to be the heavy favorite to win the East Division of Conference USA. The Knights open the season on Sept. 4 at Bright House Networks Stadium against South Dakota. Several of UCF's marquee games, including the Sept. 11 clash with NC State, will be played in Orlando.
Another major part of the advertising campaign is UCF's desire to present a strong visual presence in Central Florida, particularly on game day in the fall. With billboards, car flags, yard signs, UCF is hoping to ``own game day'' in Orlando and Central Florida.
Playing off the "UKNIGHT" theme, the bold billboard messages invite mothers, fathers, sons and daughters and also friends, families and neighbors and even tailgaters, facepainters and wave starters to come together and get behind the UCF program.
John Denton's Knights Insider appears on UCFathletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.