Kings reject helmet ads, will raise awareness for LA mental health instead

Yes! Love this! A very classy move by Luc Robitaille, Rob Blake and the entire Kings organization.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 3 years ago
Kings reject helmet ads, will raise awareness for LA mental health instead
Los Angeles Kings

Unlike the other 30 NHL franchises, the Los Angeles Kings won't be selling ad space on their helmets to the highest bidder. Helmet sponsorships are of course the latest "innovation" from the NHL this season as a way to recoup some lost revenue due to the impacts of COVID-19. Because of it, you'll see even more Rogers and Scotiabank ads in the NHL this season. 

But the Kings, under the guidance of Luc Robitaille and Rob Blake, figured they could do something better.

Beginning with their season opener this evening, the Kings’ home and away helmets this season will feature the logo of the California HOPE Crisis Counseling Program, a mental health and wellness initiative funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and run by the California Department of Health Care Services.

 “It’s easy to put on a brand,” Robitaille said. “But for us to have something that can actually make a difference, it can really help us spread the message, that was when it really perked my attention. I was really happy.”


Check it out:


How cool is that!?

The partnership between the Kigns and HOPE includes not only these new helmet ads but according to Dr. Jim Kooler, the assistant deputy director of behavioral health at HOPE, will be priceless. “I get goosebumps thinking about that,” he said. “Instead of just slapping another logo on that generates income, this is going to generate the saving of lives.”

“The timing of it all between talking with them was just right,” said Josh Veilleux, senior vice president of AEG Global Partnerships, the marketing division for the Kings. “It made the decision easy for us."

“We didn’t go into it with a dollar-signs-only mentality,” Veilleux said. “We wanted to try to use this as more than just a billboard, but as an opportunity to get a message out.”

Kudos to the Kings organization for this initiative. 

For more info on HOPE, click below: