The 2024 NFL season started with a bang at an exclusive private party hosted by theScore Bet in Toronto on September 8th. Booth Empire was brought in to deliver an immersive, fully customized Custom Trading Cards activation, allowing guests to create their own personalized NFL-themed trading cards. The experience blended sports, technology, and branding to give attendees a unique and collectible keepsake.
A Fully Branded Trading Card Station
At the core of this activation was a fully branded custom trading card station, designed exclusively for theScore Bet’s NFL Kickoff event. Guests personalized their trading cards by entering their name, selecting their favorite number, and choosing between two unique card designs inspired by theScore Bet’s signature colors.
Each trading card was printed on high-quality stock and sealed in a magnetic one-touch 35pt case, giving it a premium collector’s feel. To enhance the exclusivity, we added custom holographic stickers featuring theScore Bet’s logo as a finishing touch.
An Intuitive Custom Sports Card Photobooth
To keep the line moving and the experience frictionless, we built a custom trading card photobooth with intuitive input software. Guests entered their details, posed for the camera, and watched their card come together on screen. Each attendee walked away with a one-of-one card they had designed themselves.
Beyond the custom trading card booth, we also ran an optional AI-powered sports trading card experience, where guests could superimpose their faces onto football player bodies. That extra layer drove engagement and gave attendees a shareable moment that extended the reach of the event online.
Key Highlights of the Activation
- Brand-aligned design: Every card reflected theScore Bet’s visual identity for a cohesive in-event marketing asset.
- Premium collectible quality: Magnetic one-touch cases and holographic stickers gave each card a real collector’s finish.
- AI-enhanced customization: An optional AI variant let guests put themselves into the card art, driving social shares.
- Personalization at scale: Every attendee had full control over their card design without slowing the line.
Why Custom Trading Cards Work as Brand Activations
Custom trading cards sit at a useful intersection: nostalgic enough to feel personal, premium enough to feel earned, and physical enough to live on after the event. When done with the right production values, they become a marketing asset attendees voluntarily keep, display, and share. For theScore Bet, that meant brand visibility that lasted well beyond the kickoff party.
The format has since run everywhere from a Skechers Basketball release with Norman Powell to a 400-card day for Zynga at a Toronto student gaming event. Want to bring custom trading cards to your next brand activation? Talk to our team about production specs, customization options, and how trading cards fit into a broader experiential strategy.