NHLPA

Scope: 
Social media concept and content production
Communications and media relations
Influencer relations

Selling tickets and building brand awareness through local edge and embracing personalities

When the NHLPA came to Finland for the 2024 Global Series, the goal was clear: to engage local audiences beyond the traditional hockey crowd and highlight players’ personalities off the ice hockey rink.

Approach

Mellakka designed a tailored social media series that combined lifestyle, humor, and fast-paced entertainment to cut through the noise of a packed game schedule. We produced three distinct video formats within tight timelines:

• A lifestyle-driven collaboration with local influencer Jaakko Parkkali

• A lighthearted “air guitar” video that showcased players’ sense of humor

• A “rapid fire questions” teammate challenge with the Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers players
  
  
  

The mix of influencer-led storytelling and playful behind-the-scenes moments helped position NHL players as relatable personalities, not just athletes, and extended the conversation well beyond hockey circles.

Highlights

• Local reach & engagement: The Jaakko Parkkali collaboration achieved a strong local impact, with engagement far above his account average (8.81% vs. 2.21%).

• Expanding audiences: The humorous air guitar video resonated widely, with 62.4% of views coming from non-followers, evidence of success in reaching new audiences.
  
  
  

Cross-platform success: The teammate challenge drove high engagement on Twitter and performed strongly on TikTok, achieving an average watch time of 16.3 seconds, well above the norm.