The Honda Center wants to give concert and sports fans a lift.
The Anaheim entertainment and sports venue that’s home to the Anaheim Ducks last month announced a multiyear partnership with San Francisco-based ride-sharing service Lyft Inc. as its official ride-share partner.
During Ducks games and other events, Lyft will have in-arena LED and concourse signage, as well as exposure on its large Daktronics screens. A designated Lyft pickup spot will also be active at the southwest corner of the arena during Ducks games, plus concerts and other events.
Honda Center President and Chief Executive Tim Ryan said it’s an exciting partnership, especially as the venue celebrates its silver anniversary.
“We host more than 1.5 million fans annually, making the Lyft partnership a fitting addition to the community,” he said in a statement. “Lyft shares our customer-first mindset and together we’ll work to provide convenient transportation options to and from our events.”
Exclusive ride codes for Lyft users will be made available before select Honda Center events. The codes will be announced through Honda Center and Anaheim Ducks social media accounts.
Honda Center is owned by the city of Anaheim and managed by Business Journal OC 50 couple Henry and Susan Samueli’s management company, Anaheim Arena Management LLC.
Since its 1993 opening, the 650,000-square-foot venue has hosted more than 4,000 events and more than 39 million guests. The Ducks average over 16,000 fans per home game, and opens their home season against the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 8, a rematch of the first 1993 game.
Last year, the team reported about 250 users of ride-sharing services per game, leading to increased food and beverage sales. Other Honda Center events, such as concerts, drew over 500 users of ride-sharing services.
Sun and the Snake
In a nod to its Japanese heritage, Asics America Corp. in Irvine launched the exclusive Welcome to the Dojo apparel and footwear collection last week with New York-based retail chain Foot Locker Inc.
The collection includes the Asics Gel Lyte and Gel Diablo styles in black and yellow. Apparel offerings include T-shirts and a track suit—think Bruce Lee’s iconic yellow suit in his last film, “Game of Death.”
The story behind the collection is a tale of two dojos—a martial arts training space—told through a five-part anime-inspired video series. A rising-sun dojo sparks fear in people who hear its name, and a snake dojo is depicted as a respected institution, churning out future samurais.
Created by ad agency BBDO in New York and London-based animation house Shotopop, the miniseries follows a samurai hero’s journey to find his stolen Asics Tiger Gel Lyte sneakers after removing them upon entering a dojo.
It features voice-over from actor Luka Sabbat, who plays Sneaker Samurai, rappers Princess Nokia as Kiku, and YFN Lucci, who takes on the role of Ghost Samurai.
The first episode of the one-minute video premiered online last week before the collection’s launch on Aug. 24.
Subsequent episodes will launch on Foot Locker’s YouTube and Instagram channels. Each will also be shoppable, so viewers can purchase the featured footwear and apparel directly through the social media platform.
Asics Vice President of Marketing Sarah Bishop said the collection “touts bold colorways, comfort and style” and that the “Welcome to the Dojo pack taps into Asics’ Japanese heritage, which inspired the series and curated assortment of this collection.”
Asics America is a unit of Japan-based Asics Group. The footwear and apparel company has more than 250 employees in its Irvine office, No. 10 among apparel companies per the Business Journal’s April rankings.
