300 on ice

Last Updated on July 27, 2021

In the ultimate mish-mash of gladiators, Warner Bros. are teaming up with the National Hockey League (you know, the one we canucks go crazy for?) to promote Frank Miller’s 300, which hits theatres this week. The league has cut a 30-second TV spot mixing gameplay footage with scenes from the film, marking the first time the NHL has whored out it’s services to Hollywood (the Gretzky trade nor the glowing FOX puck don’t count). Kind of fitting with some of the players in the league already being referred to as gladiators, but hey, it’s an interesting concept.

NHL Enterprises prexy Ed Horne said the campaign is part of the league’s overall efforts to plant the NHL brand in the entertainment landscape (you know, instead of actually marketing the game for what it is?) The “300” campaign has several other components, including dispatching a handful of NHL players to the movie’s premiere. Methinks we’ll be seeing the likes of Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and the other superstars of the game (sorry Leafs’ fans, but nobody loves you that much).

Directed by Zack Snyder, 300 stars the likes of Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Rodrigo Santoro and Andrew Tiernan.