The mystery of opening up a pack of sports cards has always been always a thrill. Could there be a hot rookie or autograph card inside?
The odds may be a little long, but fans and collectors in one part of the U.S. can have the same kind of fun opening a box of cereal thanks to a new promotion from a grocery chain and one of the NHL’s greatest stars.
Some boxes of “Ovie O’s” at Giant Food Stores won’t just include breakfast. Fifty lucky purchasers will find hand-signed photos of the product’s namesake inside.
The honey nut cereal is sold in Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and the Virginia cities that make up the Washington Capitals home area. It originally went to market as a limited edition product on Ovechkin’s 34th birthday–September 17, 2019.
The insert of 50 autographed action photos is a Valentine’s Day promotion. Ovechkin sports his trademark grin (perhaps, minus a tooth or so) in the picture. The day before they hit the market, Giant tweeted out a video of Ovechkin signing the photos.
Hey, @Capitals fans! Ovechkin is showing his love this Valentine’s Day w/ 50 autographed pictures, hidden in 50 special boxes of Ovi O’s cereal. Act fast, because they’re only available at select stores while supplies last—& tag us in your photo if you find one! #ALLCAPS #OviOs pic.twitter.com/51mVyzqAgf
— Giant Food (@GiantFood) February 12, 2020
An avid memorabilia collector himself, Ovechkin tells NHL.com portions of the proceeds benefit Children’s Cancer Foundation.
“I love cereal and it’s a huge honor to work with Giant to make Ovi O’s and help the Children’s Cancer Foundation support kids and families in the D.C. community.”
The specially marked boxes arrive with Ovechkin just two goals short of 700 for his career. He’s likely to have the sixth most in history by season’s end.
According to one story in the Washington Post, a box of Ovi O’s typically costs $2.69. That’s probably not bad considering the potential opportunity to land a solid piece of memorabilia. Giant Food is encouraging those who find the photos to tweet photos of themselves with their autographed pictures.
Some boxes have already made their way to eBay.
The Ovi O’s fun doesn’t stop there. The cereal is also at the forefront of a little technology. It offers buyers an opportunity to suit up virtually as Ovechkin. It’s a Snapchat option where cereal purchasers can scan a code to get a game.
The @Capitals & @BaltiVirtual are at the forefront of creating entertaining augmented reality activations.
Scan a box of Ovi O's cereal w/ @Snapchat & #AR Alex Ovechkin appears for you to take target practice with.@ovi8 #ALLCAPS
📽️- @frntofficesportpic.twitter.com/6mwksYx7fr
— AR, VR, & AI in Sport (@ARVRinSport) September 4, 2019
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