Panini Blog
Panini Blog
PASADENA, Calif. — Perhaps Panini America Vice President of Marketing Jason Howarth said it best during a sun-drenched interview with NFL.com’s Crystina Poncher on the pristine Rose Bowl field Saturday afternoon: “The NFLPA Rookie Premiere is our Super Bowl,” Howarth said. In so many ways, Howarth nailed it.
Indeed, when it comes to the 2013 NFL trading card season, there is no more important event for Panini America than the NFLPA Rookie Premiere. The content captured during this four-day spectacle — photographs, autographs, memorabilia and relationships — will help drive Panini America’s NFL products for the entirety of the 2013 season and well beyond.
During Saturday’s main event, Panini America officials began by rotating 19 of 38 rookies through four different stations: Two studio photography stations in the tunnel leading to the field, one massive action photography station on the field, and the always entertaining marketing station in the corner of the end zone.
(Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert and Manti Te’o were put through the same paces Friday morning so they could get back to South Bend in time for yesterday’s gradutation.)
While the three photography stations produced several thousand compelling images that will grace Panini America NFL card sets for the rest of the season, the marketing station delivered one highlight after another as players took turns being interviewed on camera, hijacking the Panini America Twitter account, creating true works of art on Panini America sketch cards and signing a few promotional autographs.
The following gallery provides a scene-setting assortment of great moments from Saturday’s events.
Enjoy the gallery and stay tuned to The Knight’s Lance for additional unprecedented coverage of the football card industry’s marquee event in the coming days, including tons more images, exclusive video content and a contest or two to win some unique collectibles from the 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere.
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