CFL Sometime in the late '80s, as sports marketing began to evolve into a serious business, the Canadian Football League got sidetracked and failed to keep pace. When new management took over in 2000, the CFL approached Bensimon-Byrne in need of a jolt that would quickly get consumers' attention and open doors for new long-term partnership agreements. The consumer insight was to focus on the league's most motivating and sustainable equity: the intense regional rivalries that naturally existed between teams. A deliberately provocative campaign was produced, and the response was immediate. Internet chat rooms buzzed with opinions, TV audiences began to climb immediately, and sales calls with potential sponsors took on a new tone as the campaign was used to demonstrate the league's commitment to growth.
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