Tapping star power for public service announcements

By Jacqui Banaszynski

Storyboard does not indulge in easy click bait. But I would be foolish to ignore a legitimate opportunity to tap the drawing power of Taylor Swift.

There’s this week’s news that she was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. You can read all about how Time made that choice, and read a rare exclusive interview Swift did with Time reporter Sam Lanky. (No spoilers here, but she does talk about her relationship with Kansas City Chief tight end Travis Kielce. And for those of you who prefer the other football, aka soccer: The Chiefs are a team in the National Football league; a tight end is an offensive player who blocks and receives passes.)

But my excuse — uh, legitimate opportunity — to feature Swift on Storyboard is inspired by different news: Her attendance at last weekend’s game between the Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers, played at the venerable Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

I grew up 20 miles from that stadium, and my family had season tickets to the Packers. I attended a game a year with my father — usually the last and coldest game of the regular season. It’s been 15 years since I’ve made it back for a game, but I have been known to scout sports bars in cities around the world in hopes of catching a game. Criticism of the sport’s violence are irrefutable. Yet there’s an underdog pride involved in being allied with a team from the smallest market in the NFL; Green Bay is not a destination city, yet the Packers have a remarkable legacy of championships and star players.

Speaking of stars, back to Taylor Swift, and how this all comes together as a legitimate opportunity for Storyboard:

As I scanned through social media before the Monday night game, I came across no end of posts speculating whether Swift would make an appearance at Lambeau. Among them was a notice from the Green Bay Police Department. I expected some stern warning against amateur paparazzi, lest Swift be swarmed by hordes in plaid flannel and stocking caps. But no! The cops put the spotlight on two more frequent game-day visitors: drunk driving and Wisconsin winter weather. They never once mentioned Ms. Swift — at least not directly. Here, for your reading amusement:

REMINDER: We are in week 13 of the NFL Regular Season – the Green Bay Packers are playing against the The Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, December 3rd at 7:20 p.m. at Lambeau Field.

We should all be in our responsible driver ERA and opt for sober rides home. One thing you can’t SHAKE OFF is a SWIFT ride to jail after choosing to drink and drive. This isn’t 1989, so take advantage of rideshare or use Green Bay Metro’s free gameday bus service. And in your WILDEST DREAMS will it be easy to navigate around Titletown on Sunday. By now, you should know ALL TOO WELL to plan for extra travel time.

If you are attending the game, be …READY FOR IT, as it is BACK TO DECEMBER. Remember to dress appropriately for the weather; you will need more than a CARDIGAN. For those hoping to catch a glimpse of a SUPERSTAR wearing RED… small cameras, binoculars, and cell phones are acceptable if carried in loosely.

Make sure to review gameday information for current NFL policies including carry-ins, fan conduct, bus routes and more: https://www.packers.com/lambeau-field/gameday-information
GO PACK GO!

A win for clever writing, which has a better chance of being read. More public information officers should give it a try. Consider the notices from the Bangor, Maine, Police Department that we wrote about a year ago.

Oh, and because I know you were wondering: The Packers also scored an unexpected win.