BenchWarmers
Push. Wait. & Play
By Ben Mortensen
BenchWarmers is a time-based lighting system, designed to level the playing field and give everyone, regardless of their age, fair access to the Waterview basketball court. We champion a simpler, less complicated time for kids. When things were built to last, well loved and well used. There’s no sophisticated technology to learn, no apps to download or screens to swipe through, nothing to sign up to or give any personal details for. You simply have to turn up to the court with your basketball ready to play.
Background
BenchWarmers was born out of a deep sense of injustice. Of needing to stand up for the little guy. Literally. Seeing the younger kids at the local basketball court just sitting around, basketball in hand, itching to play, but looking sad and frustrated because the older kids were dominating all the court time, really tugged at the old heart strings. Something had to be done. The mission was to provide these younger kids with a free, simple, nonconfrontational way to get them off the bench and onto the court where they belong. To put an end to their days of just sitting around, waiting and hoping, and to get them their fair share of court time, so that they too could enjoy playing b ball with their friends. It became clear that the solution would have to involve some sort of timing system and after disbanding some initial ideas, a time-based lighting system was settled on. It works much like the lights at a pedestrian crossing. When kids turn up to a busy court, they simply push a big orange button which turns on a red light and starts a countdown. The red light then flashes for the last 30 seconds to let everyone know time is almost up. When time is up, the light then turns green, signaling that it is now their turn to play. No more waiting and hoping, no more leaving frustrated and disappointed.
Promotional Video
This explainer video introduces potential users to the BenchWarmers system and aims to pique their interest to want to find out more about it. It is split into 2 distinct parts; life before BenchWarmers and life after. The first half is slow and sad, then, after introducing the BenchWarmers system with a kind of spiritual wonder, the vibe suddenly changes to one of joy, hopefulness and confidence. The video ends with a call to action to visit the BenchWarmers website to find out more.
How it works!
The website is where people can go to if they want to find out what BenchWarmers is all about. The information hub. There is an ‘About Us’ section, which gives the background into why BenchWarmers was created and how it will help and a ‘How it Works’ section which provides simple step by step instructions of how the system works. The website also has a section for upcoming events happening at the Waterview court, such as coaching clinics and tournaments, as well as a fun weekly basketball related quiz aimed to get kids to regularly return to the site to check in on the upcoming events and get excited about basketball.
The Campaign
The campaign strategy aims to use kids' naturally curious natures to get them to want to find out more about BenchWarmers. The promotional poster is purposefully vague with only hints as to what BenchWarmers is actually all about. By using the tagline Push to Play, kids will be curious and head over to the website to find out more. The promotional posters would be put up at Waterview School, the bus stop near the school, and at the basketball court itself.
Why support us
Basketball is a popular activity for kids in Waterview. However, the younger kids simply aren’t getting a fair shake when it comes to getting fair and equitable access to the Waterview basketball court during busy times, as the older kids tend to dominate. The BenchWarmers time-based lighting system will provide these kids with a means to finally get their fair share of court time. It’s free, simple to use and easy to follow. With BenchWarmers, these younger kids can now turn up to the court at busy times happy in the knowledge that that will get their chance to play. Just Push. Wait. & Play.
