It's a Beach Day at Dodger Stadium
Thursday, Jan 7, 2010 | Updated 2:54 PM PDT
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Cheer the Dodgers from your Tiki hut on the third-base line.
The Los Angeles Dodgers began two marketing efforts at Sunday's interleague game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Dodger Stadium -- a "Bleacher Beach" section and giveaways of Webkinz Pets.
For each of the team's 10 remaining Sunday regular-season home games, the Lower Reserve sections 55 and 59, along the third base line, will take on a beach theme, decorated with tiki huts and lifeguard towers, while a disc jockey from KIIS-FM (102.7) will play music and spray misters will cool off fans.
Fans purchasing tickets in the Bleacher Beach section will be provided with all-you-can eat barbecued chicken and hamburgers, along with Dodger Dogs, nachos, peanuts, popcorn, watermelon slices and soft drinks.
Fans sitting in the section will also receive a free Dodger beach item at each game. Today's gift with be a Dodger beach bag.
Sunday's game is also the first of nine giveaways of Webkinz Pets the hot-selling toy stuffed animals with an attached tag with a unique "Secret Code" printed on them allowing access to the Webkinz World Web site.
The first 15,000 children ages 14 and under in attendance will receive a Webkinz Pet pug dog. The Webkinz Pets giveaways are part of the team's effort to draw
families and follows off-season market research among both children and adults.
"We had focus groups with little children as to what would be cool," Charles Steinberg, the Dodgers' executive vice president, creative and communications, told City News Service.
"We talked to parents and said, 'What would affect your planning of how you enjoy summer?' When they talked about Webkinz, there was electricity. (They said) 'I would have to bring my child if you were giving out Webkinz.'"
