NEW YORK – The Portland Trail Blazers were presented the 2013 NBA Team Sponsorship Activation of the Year Award by the National Basketball Association (NBA) at its annual Sponsorship Workshop in Los Angeles last week. A panel of league and team marketing executives reviewed more than 35 submissions from all 30 NBA teams for the award.

The Trail Blazers were recognized for their activation strategy with team partner Burgerville, a popular restaurant chain based in the northwestern United States offering fresh, locally sourced food.  The highlight of this partnership was the creation of a limited time offer “Blazers Burger”  made available at all franchise locations for a period of five weeks during the NBA season, co-promoting both the team and the restaurant.

“Burgerville has been a pillar in the Portland community for more than 50 years. Their quality, service, integrity and commitment to sustainability are things that we are proud to align ourselves with,” said Trail Blazers President & CEO Chris McGowan.  “When I first sat down with Burgerville’s President, Jeff Harvey, and CFO, Kyle Dean, I immediately felt their passion for creativity and innovation. Combining the Burgerville and Trail Blazers brands to create the Blazer Burger is a perfect example of that creativity and it was a great way to tip-off the 2012-13 season. We look forward to what the future holds for our partnership.”

The burger was promoted through an integrated multiplatform campaign featuring presence throughout broadcast television, radio, and digital media, as well as in-arena activation and point of sales at Burgerville locations throughout the region. As a result, the product went on to become the second most successful launch of a limited time offer menu item in the restaurant’s 52-year history, with a double-digit year-over-year guest count increase the day the chain offered a buy on Blazers burger, get one free.

“The Trail Blazers partnership with Burgerville is a perfect example of the innovative activations that our teams deliver each season,” said NBA Executive Vice President of Team Marketing & Business Operations Chris Granger. “With a shared core value of providing sustainability in the region, the team was recognized for creating and promoting a big idea that resonated with Burgerville and its customers and translated into a record-breaking sales success story for the restaurant chain.”

“Our two brands share the passion of Portlanders, and this limited time offering at the launch of the NBA season is one where our guests and the Trail Blazers fans clearly voted, ‘You got this one right,’” said Jeff Harvey, Burgerville President and CEO.