A driving rainstorm could not keep the crowds away from Wednesday night’s State College Spikes game. Fans came in droves.
Yes, they came to cheer on their team as the Spikes began the season’s final home stand. But the fans were also drawn by the lure of Bill O’Brien and some clever marketing.
The Spikes handed out Bill O’Brien bobblehead dolls to the first 1,500 people through the gates. All over the stadium you could see people, many grown men and women, clutching white boxes that held the sought after Bill O’Brien keepsakes.
David Wells, the Spikes Promotions manager says the whole front office came up with the idea for the O’Brien bobbleheads. “We all collectively sat down and thought what could be something that would give back to the community?”
He says the response from fans was “fantastic.”
“We opened the gates early; let people in because it was raining. We ran out (of bobbleheads) in ten minutes.”
If you’re wondering what the Penn State football coach thinks about his likeness Wells has the answer. “We hand delivered one (to O’Brien) on Tuesday. He loved it. I think his staff loved it the most though,” says Wells.
“Penn State student Yvonne Stephenson says she’ll keep her Bill O’Brien bobblehead with all the other Penn State memorabilia in her room. Stephenson, a marketing major, thinks the bobblehead was a great marketing idea. But what she likes most, she says, “I love that they put a dimple on his chin. I think that’s the best part.”
Stephenson isn’t the only one taken by the dolls’ dramatic dimple.
Doug Walter, another Penn State student, says, “I like it. My favorite part is the little dimple on the chin. They got that right.”
According to Wells the dimple was by design, “They take about four or five pictures of a person’s face. We really made sure they emphasized the dimple on the chin because what’s a Bill O’Brien doll without a dimple on the chin?”
Tom Mcadoo says he’s a fan of Penn State and the Spikes. He was holding his Bill O’Brien doll still packed in its original white box. So, what’s he planning to do with it? “I have a bunch of bobbleheads that I’ve collected over the years,” he says. I’m going to put it on my bookshelf.”
PSU student Bill Hodgetts calls his Bill O’Brien doll, “pretty nifty.” He adds, “Weve got a little collection of bobbleheads in the corner of our room. It’ll probably go in there right now.”
Cole Quattrone, a Penn State biology major says he’ll, “Probably put it in my room right next to my TV — just watching football games, just look at him, maybe shake his head for good luck.”
Speaking of luck, the drizzly skies began to clear just before game time and a rainbow billowed across the sky.
That’s the kind of good luck omen a guy like Bill O’Brien must love.
