The shopping district was closed to traffic and decorated throughout with USA, UK and NFL banners to celebrate last Sunday’s game between the two teams, the first of three International Series matches to be hosted in London.
An all-day fan festival was created by agency Wasserman Experience that centred on a main stage, which is where the Dolphins, Raiders and NFL Hall of Famers were interviewed in front of the crowd. Musicians and performances from the Raiders’ cheerleading squad, The Raiderettes, also kept guests entertained.
Sponsors of the NFL such as iON and Microsoft joined brands on Oxford Street in the celebrations. Tommy Hilfiger took the opportunity to celebrate its American roots by redecorating its store in NFL colours. H&M booked a DJ who played live in-store, while ‘F Girl’ cheerleaders performed for shoppers in French Connection.
In an interview with Event in August, Maria Gigante, events director for the NFL, said the 2014 event would aim to host more activations than it had in the past. She said: "A lot more sponsorship activations will be taking place this year after companies saw how much outreach we gained last year."
The NFL also supplied its own interactive elements. It debuted its NFL Lab, which let visitors measure themselves against certain American football metrics such as speed and strength, while also setting up a mini football field for Play60 competitions.
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