# Awkwardly Bearded Hockey Ads Visa Playoff Beard Campaign Integrates Fans in the NHL 2012 Season By Erin Fox | Published 2012-10-02 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nhl-2012-season References: [creativecriminals](http://creativecriminals.com/print/visa-playoff-beard/) The [Visa](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/soccerthemed-illustrations) Playoff Beard ad campaign depicts die-hard hockey fans in an awkward family photo in anticipation for the [NHL](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/great-clips1) 2012 season. Inspired by the hype around the discovery of awkward family photos, Visa has challenged this thought by pursuing the combination of this and the beloved playoff beard. The playoff beard is sported by NHL players and fans once their team has entered the playoff season. Beards are then grown out until the team is kicked out of the series by losing a maximum of four games in a seven game set. Visa is a sponser of the NHL 2012 season and consistently humors spectators in hilarious advertisements. This year is no exception and draws on the admiration of the sport. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.8/10 - Popularity: 35% | Activity: 70% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Print](https://www.trendhunter.com/print) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Visa Sponsorship Campaigns:** Exploring unique methods to promote sponsorship with humor and relatable social media content - **Integration of Fan Culture:** Developing campaigns that involve and incorporate the fans/fan culture of a particular sport or industry - **Use of Awkward Humor:** Employing awkward humor as a means of marketing to help generate engagement and brand awareness ### Sectors Adopting This - **Sports Sponsorship:** Incorporating fan culture in marketing campaigns, especially those that require support from social media - **Social Media Marketing:** Exploring how companies can use social media more effectively to engage with their target market and boost brand recognition - **Advertising and Public Relations:** Helping clients use innovative forms of marketing, such as humor and branded media content, to draw attention and gain valuable exposure ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Hair Salon-Powered Sports Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/great-clips1.md) - [Fan-Focused Hockey Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-espn-chirpline.md) - [Hockey-Focused Influencer Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/show-your-flow.md) - [Hockey Hair-Inspired Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pnc-bank.md) - [Quirky Spoof Collectibles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fight-teeth.md) - [Hockey Fan Cosmetic Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eyesleafsface.md) - [Humorous Star-Studded Chip Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/call-of-the-mustaches.md) - [Hockey Hero-Celebrating Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hockey-heroes.md) - [Canadian Fan-Based Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/performance-enhancing-canadians.md)