Nashville Predators announce that "Smashville" is back

As part of the marketing campaign that included a new TV commercial which ran after Sunday Night Football, the Nashville Predators have announced that "Smashville" is back. After the jump, all the details from the Preds about the new campaign:

Right in the heart of downtown Nashville is a place as friendly as it is ferocious. It is a place so full of raw energy and gut-wrenching excitement that the unexpected is a nightly occurrence. It is the place that the Nashville Predators proudly call home. Welcome to Smashville.

But Smashville is more than just a place, it is a spirit that no other National Hockey League team can ever own or understand. It starts with the all-in attitude, energy and intensity the Nashville Predators bring to every game and it is brought to life by the passion of the fans. Simply put, Smashville is the raw ingredient of the ‘IT' in ‘IT STAYS WITH YOU.'

"Smashville is the place to be," Predators President of Business Operations Ed Lang said. "The Smashville spirit is what fuels our pursuit of the Stanley Cup year after year. It is what compels us to put on the best game for our fans. From high-speed playmaking to an exhilarating come-from-behind win, anything can happen in Smashville. "

Revived in partnership with marketing firm GS&F, the concept of Smashville will officially launch the week of September 28 with a viral-video movement via Social Media sites Twitter and Facebook as well as the Predators official Web site NashvillePredators.com. The campaign will soon be incorporated on billboards and special outlets around Nashville, in new television and radio commercials and across the Internet and will be showcased throughout the Sommet Center during games. Commercials filmed during two recent Predators preseason games will highlight the fans as an integral part of Smashville.

It will be interesting to watch how the new effort leverages Social Media, as the Preds have done some good work on that front to establish an interactive presence online. Don't forget that on October 7th, I will participate in a panel discussion with @PredFans founder Paul Nicholson, Preds Chief Marketing Officer Derek Perez and radio play-by-play man Tom Callahan in "The Puck Drops Here", a presentation on how social media relates to the Predators fan base and sports in general sponsored by Social Media Club Nashville.