Washington Football Team: An outside-the-box way to reveal the new nickname

The Washington Football Team will likely have a new nickname in 2021 and the organization will need time to publicize it and create the kind of hype that will attract fans.

It seems strange and surreal to talk about a football team with no nickname.  It doesn’t feel right.  It’s just different.  In July, the Washington Football Team said the old name was going away and this current name would be a temporary placeholder until a new and more traditional name is chosen – likely sometime next winter or spring.

Calling them the Washington Football Team or referring to them as “WFT” seems so unnatural and out of place.  For now, that is the temporary solution.

Temporary name aside, a new name will need to be chosen in the coming months and a lot of publicity will ensue.  The hype from the NFL media will definitely help and the national media as well, but the team front office will need to sell the idea to fans and local media the most.

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Obviously, there are many methods that will be used.  Radio ads.  Television ads.  Internet ads.  Newspaper ads.  Social media campaigns.  All of it will be helpful and very useful.

The team can also use its own website and media for more publicity.  There are a number of celebrity WFT fans out there and having their presence and star power is certainly a way to promote the new team name.  They can participate in announcements on the website and social media can bring these messages to the masses on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

All of these ideas sound great and most or all of it will be utilized to introduce the new team nickname.

There is another method of getting the new name out there and it is a very unique way of expanding the outreach.

Yes, the star power of Michael Jordan could help to sell the new nickname of the Washington Football Team next year.

Michael Jordan can sell nearly anything and at any given time.  He is a marketing machine and sports icon.  How can he help Washington in the coming months?  Think NASCAR.

Very recently, the sports world was rocked on its side when Jordan announced that he would be a team owner in the sport of NASCAR racing.  His minority partner will be one of the best drivers in racing – Denny Hamlin.  Their new driver will be Bubba Wallace – another marketer’s dream on the racing tracks.  The news stunned fans and media alike.

How can this new racing team help with the selling of WFT’s new nickname in 2021?  Let’s connect the dots and see how this could happen.

The lifeblood of motorsports comes from the sponsors.  Putting a name brand, big-time sponsor on the side of these high powered machines on wheels typically generate a lot of publicity.  The attention given to sponsors in the racing world is unlike any other sport out there.

Having the new team name emblazoned on each side of the car with the team colors prominently featured can generate a huge buzz.  Millions tuning in on TV will see the car many, many times.  Numerous fans in the stands will see the car as well.  Combine the name recognition of Jordan, Hamlin, and Wallace (along with all of their fans) and the WFT can introduce that new name with a lot of fanfare and cheering.

It will only be needed for two to four of the higher-profile races on the circuit.  Some of those races could include the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Brickyard 400, Bristol night race (a huge fan favorite), and the Southern 500.  That will be a lot of exposure on television and it will create a lot of attention in the sporting world.  It is a win for Michael Jordan and his new team and it is a win for the WFT.

What are the chances that Jordan’s new team will be No. 23 in the series – his number in the basketball world?  Rumors are running strong.  Imagine that No. 23 Toyota Camry displaying the new Washington team name in a couple of races next season.  Powerful!  But let’s not stop there.  Let’s talk about two more iconic names in the sport and how they can help.

NASCAR team owners Joe Gibbs and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. can lend their name recognition to the cause as well.  Hamlin drives for Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing) and, as you certainly know, Coach Gibbs lead Washington to three Super Bowl titles as their head coach.  Hamlin is one of the best racers in the sport and is in serious contention for a championship in a few weeks.  It is not out of the question to think that Hamlin could pilot his No. 11 Toyota Camry with the new team nickname in a couple of races next season.  Hamlin is also an avid WFT fan.

Earnhardt, Jr. owns a four-car race team in the second tier Xfinity racing series and he is a devoted WFT fan as well.  One or more of his Chevy Camaros could also feature the new Washington team name next season in a couple of races.  Earnhardt, Jr. has been one of the most popular figures in NASCAR for more than two decades, and his fans number in the millions.  Hitching to his star power only increases the exposure a new WFT nickname can receive.

Is there a chance all of these cars will feature the new WFT team name in 2021?  Probably not, but there could be two cars next season that will feature it.  The chances are probably no more than one in four, but it certainly can’t be ruled out.  We don’t know what the new nickname will be, but seeing “Red Wolves”, “Renegades”, “Generals”, “Warriors”, or “Admirals”, on the sides of slick race cars will stir the imagination.

So there you have it.  Michael Jordan.  Denny Hamlin.  Bubba Wallace.  Joe Gibbs.  Dale Earnhardt, Jr.  Icons.  Megastars.  Powerful leaders.  Marketing magnets.  Talented men.  The Washington Football Team could have some unique opportunities to elevate the new team name in 2021 and do so in a way that brings great recognition to the Burgundy and Gold.