OPEN THE GATES

On September 18th, 2016, the new era of Vikings Football began with the first regular season game in U.S. Bank Stadium.

Here's how we created the number-one rated Game Entertainment experience in the NFL, including how we built a fire-breathing dragon ship, introduced the world to the Skol Chant, and staged a larger-than-life tribute to Minnesota's native son Prince.

A moment six years in the making...

I was fresh out of college when I watched the Metrodome collapse. From that moment forward, the Vikings organization worked tirelessly to build
U.S. Bank Stadium on the same site.

I joined the team almost six years later - in May of 2016, just 4 months prior to the opening game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Joining a foreign industry, I learned on the fly, grabbed projects in progress, and carried them to the finish line in one of the craziest years of my career.

An entrance fit for a Viking:

One of my first projects was completing the idea of a dragon ship to serve as the entrance tunnel for team introductions - the modern interpretation of an inflatable favorite from the Metrodome.

On September 18th, we debuted the iconic team symbol, designed in the metallic aesthetic of the "modern Vikings" complete with a 3000 degree ispoar fireball effect and a heat signature that could be felt from the back row of the stadium.

Years later, the image of the ship serves as one of the most ubiquitous symbols of the Vikings brand.

THE SKOL CHANT

Another iconic brand element debuted on September 18th, 2016, when we introduced the world to the Skol Chant.

Inspired by the Icelandic soccer team's "Viking War Chant" enjoying a viral moment, we reached out to the team and formed a partnership to extend and evolve the tradition for the Minnesota Vikings.

On this opening night, we enlisted legendary Vikings Fran Tarkenton, the Purple People Eaters, and others to debut the new team tradition. Over the course of the subsequent opening season, we adjusted and nurtured the new tradition, until it became a synonymous symbol of the Vikings brand worldwide.

The above video retells the story of the Skol Chant, and earned the campaign a Clio Gold award for best experiential activation.

PURPLE REIGN

One of the biggest games in franchise history called for one of the biggest halftimes in franchise history.

When music legend Prince passed away in spring 2016, the entire world mourned the loss of an icon.

In Minnesota, where Prince was the native son and most famous Vikings fan, the first game since his passing was also the first opportunity to pay tribute to Prince's legacy, while memorializing a capstone moment for the State, City, and Team he loved.

We partnered with the world-renowned Minnesota Orchestra and Prince's former bandmates and collaborators to stage an unforgettable performance complete with a first-of-its scale projection surface for an NFL field, 30,000 falling LED lights, and moving tributes to the franchise, state, to the moment, and to Prince.

A NEW ERA OF ENTERTAINMENT

With a 17-`14 win over the rival Packers on this Sunday evening in September, the Vikings officially launched into a new era of sports entertainment at U.S. Bank Stadium.

In the previous season, NFL fans had rated the Vikings as the 19th best game entertainment experience in the NFL. This evening began a stretch of four consecutive seasons ranked in the top 4 in the League as surveyed by the fans, peaking as the #1 rated show in the NFL.

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