Bmo Advertising? Wtf?

[Seb of Mtl]

So i got to the stadium around 640pm and all i see is blue but not exactly the blue of ungrateful immigrants but rather the blue of bmo. There is some activity with soccer players wearing blue jerseys, a giant blue mascot and blue banners everywhere. Then the kids who won got a blue school bag. Haven't we addressed with this issue with the CSA?? Is that much harder to get tshirt, jerseys and bags printed in white or red instead of blue??

[TFCRegina]

So i got to the stadium around 640pm and all i see is blue but not exactly the blue of ungrateful immigrants but rather the blue of bmo. There is some activity with soccer players wearing blue jerseys, a giant blue mascot and blue banners everywhere. Then the kids who won got a blue school bag. Haven't we addressed with this issue with the CSA?? Is that much harder to get tshirt, jerseys and bags printed in white or red instead of blue??

Well, if everything was in red and white with BMO advertising, certain Montrealers (IE: Trident) would complain that they were sporting Toronto FC gear.

[Lord Bob]

Were there thunder sticks this time?

[Keano]

So i got to the stadium around 640pm and all i see is blue but not exactly the blue of ungrateful immigrants but rather the blue of bmo. There is some activity with soccer players wearing blue jerseys, a giant blue mascot and blue banners everywhere. Then the kids who won got a blue school bag. Haven't we addressed with this issue with the CSA?? Is that much harder to get tshirt, jerseys and bags printed in white or red instead of blue??

Same issue as "last time".

I wrote a complaint to them at the time.

Obviously no one cares except us.

[CanadasBest]

I was wondering that too. I will never forget the thousands of Honduran supporters clacking their blue and white BMO thundersticks.

[phil7777]

I had EXACTLY the same thought when I saw them at the entrance.

Shameful.

[Jeremy]

BMO used to have advertising people in SS at Impact games and they were dressed in red. Some people complained, they changed to blue and they probably did not consider switching back to red for tonight.

[Keano]

BMO used to have advertising people in SS at Impact games and they were dressed in red. Some people complained, they changed to blue and they probably did not consider switching back to red for tonight.

lol

clusterf***

[Blue and White Army]

Shhhh... don't tell foreverthursday... we'll call us all "supporter geeks" for caring about club colours.

Seriously though, I reckon honey does better than vinegar in terms of changing BMO's mind.

Coca-Cola became sponsors of the English Football League several years ago, and being sensitive to the issue of club colours, they were very careful about always using their logo in the colours of the club where their ads were featured. For example, after the match the manager and players would give interviews in front of an advert board, covered in Coke ads in apppropriate club colours. They even ran an ad on the electronic billboards at Piccadilly Circus, which would rotate between all of the League's clubs, and all were in appropriate colours.

I remember thinking at the time that they were very smart doing this. They didn't have to do this... but if they had used red and white everywhere, you could be sure that they would have pissed off a lot people that supporters clubs that don't use red and white as their club colours.

So... perhaps someone needs to articulately explain this to BMO in a polite letter/email.

[foreverthursday]

Nerds

I hope in that letter you grovel at their feet thanking them repeatedly for giving so much to Canadian soccer across the board only to get petty whining from pathetic adult men. Maybe the reason BMO didn't live up to your expectations is simply because they are poseurs. Right blue and white army? BMO is poseurs? Right?

You know what is important to soccer? Colour schemes!

For the record this issue is nothing compared to the lack of foresight seen here.

[Blue and White Army]

There's too much yellow in that photo. Why are you favouring Hamilton supporters so blatantly?!?

P.S. Pikachu clearly needs more lube. That is one bouncy castle from Hell.

[CanadasBest]

You had to be there ForeverThursday. When we played in Montreal back in 2008 3/4's of the fans were Honduran supporters all decked in blue. We get there and BMO is handing out blue and white inflatable thunder sticks.

It was so bad that security had to keep us in our seats after the game and usher us out a back exit.

It's just something rarely seen in other sports. It was really depressing hence the colour hang-up. I'd much rather take my chances with Pikachu than go through that again.

[Keano]

Nerds

I hope in that letter you grovel at their feet thanking them repeatedly for giving so much to Canadian soccer across the board only to get petty whining from pathetic adult men. Maybe the reason BMO didn't live up to your expectations is simply because they are poseurs. Right blue and white army? BMO is poseurs? Right?

You know what is important to soccer? Colour schemes!

For the record this issue is nothing compared to the lack of foresight seen here.

WHEEE! Aren't stubborn personal flogging horses great?

There is nothing wrong with asking an organization who has already done good work to do better work in one area.

Unless you think Coca Cola is wrongly catering to "nerds" by altering their color schemes for each premiership club? Clearly an amateurish and spineless company.

[Fort York Redcoat1555362293]

I'm pretty sure there were some Honduras fans that noticed the kids were in their colours for some reason. Us nerds don't feel so alone. My first comment seeing them was "Well, I guess they're wearing Impact colours." and yes, the next one was "Thank Gawd there's no thunder stix!"

[Blue and White Army]

foreverthursday,

I completely understand your point of view. One "big picture" is that BMO has put a lot of money into a spectator sport that is still relatively small here in North America. Good on them, and we should be appreciative.

However, there is arguably another big picture, one much larger than mere colour schemes. It's what long-term Voyageurs have been suffering from for at least a decade (if not more): Canadian supporters made to feel like strangers in our own (home) stadiums.

For example, in years past, when Canada has played crucial World Cup qualifiers at home against Caribbean countries, the CSA marketing geniuses decided to create "theme nights" around the opponent, to give the soccer moms and their rugrats an unique experience. So when we played big games against the likes of Trinidad & Tobago or Jamaica, the CSA would hire a steel drum band to give the stadium concourse (and sometimes even the stadium seating during the matches) a Caribbean feel.

Sounds well and good, but the result is that home games in Canadian stadiums become veritable away matches. The opposition fans get pumped up, and become very loud. They're catered to, and made to feel at home. What should be an intimidating (or at least neutral) experience for these away fans becomes a warm welcome from the CSA.

Our opponents have often remarked (in awe) at how welcome they have been made to feel, as the CSA pissed away what little home advantage we might have otherwise enjoyed.

Meanwhile when Canada plays away, they get whistled at, and have coins and bags of urine thrown at them. You can bet your ass that the El Salvadorian SA doesn't dress people up as Mounties and moose, nor do they give out small bottles of maple syrup.

It became so bad at one point that Canadian supporters in Vancouver have had blades pulled on them during home matches (in a Canadian stadium!) against Central American countries. And it's likely that the dicks being aggressive actually live here in Canada, adding insult to injury.

So yes, some of us old grouches have become rather touchy about anything avoidable that needlessly helps to turn our home stadiums into an "away" experience - even if it's something relatively minor and trivial like a Canadian company using advertising that employs the colour scheme of the away team.

[foreverthursday]

I guess I understand that. Although the thundersticks probably didn't have this design flaw.

Yes that is real, and just imagine if was Dwayne De Rosario...

[Jeremy]

good lord, a thunder stick with ddr on it... i can't imagine

[Lord Bob]

good lord, a thunder stick with ddr on it... i can't imagine

Every so often they fly out of your hands and wander aimlessly around the section. But it could be worse: in the Gold Cup you can't get them at all.

[Trident]

Well, if everything was in red and white with BMO advertising, certain Montrealers (IE: Trident) would complain that they were sporting Toronto FC gear.

The day after the game and you're crying about it?

Get over yourself, we brought plenty of red to 113:

[Gordon]

I'm pretty sure there were some Honduras fans that noticed the kids were in their colours for some reason. Us nerds don't feel so alone. My first comment seeing them was "Well, I guess they're wearing Impact colours." and yes, the next one was "Thank Gawd there's no thunder stix!"

http://www.johnstons.org/roy/comics/farside/fs.cfm?Comic=44

[paul-collins]

Blue and white thundersticks at the Junior worlds today, Canada playing Finland. It's nice of BMO to make the Finns feel at home, the Canadian team sure isn't.