• by Karl Greenberg , December 11, 2012

There's tailgating, an odd ritual involving parking a vehicle in the parking lot where an NFL game is being played, hanging out in the back with food and drinks and watching the game on TV. But the league, to promote the licensed products it sells through at the NFL Shop is offering a (much more sensible) take: homegating. In other words, having the party and watching the game on TV at home.

To launch the campaign, which promotes things like countertop cooking appliances, NFL team-branded serving accoutrements and containers, crock pots, cutting boards, beer steins and wine glasses, the NFL tapped actress, host, philanthropist and football fan Holly Robinson Peete. 

On its Facebook page the effort uses a group of NFL Homegating personalities: The Couch Defender, The Grill Captain, The Master of Ceremonies, The Equipment Manager, The Décor-dinator, The Dipping-Back, The Sandwicheer and The Party Ref. The NFL FanStyle Facebook page (www.facebook.com/nflfanstyle) allows visitors to figure out which character they most embody and gives suggestions on ideal Homegating products.

The campaign, for which Grey NY developed the creative platform, was also part of NFL "Fit for You Style Lounges" activated in Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Detroit, Baltimore, New Orleans, Kansas City and San Diego. There are also pop-up stores at different NFL stadiums throughout the season. The NFL launched the style lounges earlier this year. 

While the NFL Shop is a Web-based retail channel, the NFL ran a pop-up version in New York in March. The store sold a range of merchandise and touted new partnerships with Nike, New Era, Under Armour, Wilson and others. 

Peete made appearances in Style Lounges in St. Louis and Washington, D.C. A spokesperson said that this is the second year the NFL has pushed a campaign for Homegating but the first year of the digital Homegating “Player Profiles.”