The Minnesota Vikings are due to move out of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome that they’ve played at since 1982. The team’s lease on the stadium expires after this season, and now they’re asking for public help to build a $1.1 billion stadium in a St. Paul suburb.
Cue a flashy TV ad campaign (embedded below) that features Viking heroes such as Bud Grant and Fran Tarkenton. The two-minute spot makes a case for a new stadium, which the club will contribute $400 million towards. That leaves a shortfall of $700 million.
If you caught last night’s “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Vikings and Green Bay Packers on ESPN, you may have already seen the ad roll in the interval. The Vikings say the campaign will run for several weeks and would also encompass radio, print and online spots.
The ad points out how a new Vikings “multi-purpose facility” would create 7,000 jobs in the area, with over $300 million paid in wages. Team spokesman Jeff Anderson refused to say how much was spent on the ad campaign, but told The Washington Post it was a “comprehensive ad buy,” adding, “Our goal is to reach as many Minnesotans as possible.”
The campaign will also include public events at venues around the state, and current and former Vikings players will be involved.
Numerous downtown sites in Minneapolis are being considered for the new stadium, and Gov. Mark Dayton is pressing for special session to consider a stadium bill before the end of 2011.
