How often do you look really closely at your favorite team’s uniform? Probably never, the game is too fast to really notice anything but the colors and number. How closely do you think you would look at your team’s uniform if a trip for 4 to the Stanley Cup rested on your keen observation? Pretty closely if you’re a hockey fan I would assume.

Reebok and the NHL are bringing a new type of attention to logos. They can never have enough! In a competition to be held at the NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field, fans both watching TV and in attendance will have the opportunity to win Stanley Cup tickets. There will be one athlete on the ice without the Reebok logo on his jersey. If fans can identify that player and text the answer into a designated number, they will be entered into a drawing.

I have never heard of a competition so directly affiliated with paying such close attention to logos and their branding implications. While subtle, most professional and collegiate jersey include these little logo sponsorships. Nike’s logo is king at this practice but it is gaining more and more amongst other companies. Usually located on the left breast, the logos often go unnoticed. Here are some more examples:

Depending on the publicity brought to Reebok through this contest, I wouldn’t be surprised if other companies, teams, and sporting venues realized the extra marketing potential that can be yielded by logos. Gone are the days where you have to hope your target customer spots your logo somewhere. Now, they can benefit from searching for your logo? You’re happy, your customer is happy, your logo is probably happy, can it get any better?

Nothing tops a good old fashioned logo search.