US20020123399A1

US20020123399A1 - Method of marketing and promoting sporting activities and an article for carrying out said method

Info

Publication number: US20020123399A1
Application number: US09/796,475
Authority: US
Inventors: John Randolph Conley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-03-02
Filing date: 2001-03-02
Publication date: 2002-09-05

Abstract

A method of marketing and/or promoting an organized sport and/or a method of association of an individual and/or an organization with organized sports, such as a corporation. utilizing a three-dimensional novelty item, puzzle, and/or gaming object which simulates the appearance, and preferably the color and shape of the gaming object for that particular organized sport.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a method of promotion and marketing organized sport utilizing an article that simulates in appearance the particular object utilized in playing the particular sport.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Societies world-wide follow organized sporting activities with a passion. With regard to those sporting activities there are many collectibles for sporting enthusiasts of a particular sport. For example, many young people collect player trading cards for baseball, football, hockey and basketball. Some of the player trading cards come with separate stands in order to have the card oriented in a vertical direction. There are also figures carried on a pedestal which are available for particular sports. Some individuals collect the actual playing object itself, such as hockey pucks, footballs, basketballs, baseballs or the like that may be autographed. Organizations generally and particularly business corporations recognize the value of utilizing sports as a vehicle for reaching their particular market, and therefore chose to associate themselves with a particular sport for business purposes.

Three dimensional puzzles are well known typically as taught in Great Britain Patent Application No. 2,074,459 wherein a generally octagonally shaped puzzle is described and illustrated. Similarly, in the catalogue of Aware Marketing Group Ltd. a puzzle is offered having a substantially disk shape, essentially following the teachings of the aforementioned Great Britain Patent Application with the exception that the octagonal shape of the puzzle is replaced with a disk. The same catalogue offers a variety of shaped puzzles including cubes, rectangles, triangles and the like.

Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,244 teaches an alternative form of a cubic puzzle which includes score lines and substantially pyramidal shaped portions which are interconnected proximate one side of the pyramid.

All these products are made from paper and properly folded as set out in the particular specifications, which are hereby incorporated by reference with respect to the method of fastening the pyramidal shaped portions together to form the various puzzles, and the method in which the puzzle, particularly the disk shaped puzzle may be moved from a first position when the puzzle is closed to a second position wherein the puzzle is split to expose a particular face within the puzzle.

It is also known within the business community, for example, the fast food restaurants which sell burgers, chicken, Mexican food, pizza or the like, to provide novelty items to promote particular deals they may have at that particular time period and to encourage parents and teenagers to purchase these particular special offerings in order to obtain the novelty item for their young children, or in the case of the teenager for themselves. It is also known when attending a sporting activity that various sellers of novelty items are located in the stadium or arena selling banners, caps, and sweatshirts and the like including hockey schedules, magazines, or the like.

To the best of Applicant's knowledge no where within the prior art is there taught the promotion of an organized sport such as hockey, baseball, football, basketball or the like utilizing a simulation of the object used, for example baseball, basketball, football, or hockey, in the form of a puzzle which may be transformed or manipulated from a first position wherein the puzzle appears as, or is associated with the gaming object to a second position wherein the gaming object is transformed, manipulated and/or split to expose an image, including for example, a player image, a game schedule, team logos, and suitable advertising information. No where in the prior art is such an object found utilized to carry out, the promotion of an organized sport, such as hockey or the other games listed above and/or is the association of an individual and/or organization with organized sport such as for example, a corporate sponsor.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method of marketing and/or promoting an organized sport and/or a method of association of an individual and/or an organization with organized sports, such as a corporation, utilizing a three-dimensional puzzle like gaming object which simulates the appearance, and preferably the colour and shape of the gaming object for that particular organized sport.

It is a further object of the invention to provide the gaming object for carrying out said aforementioned method of marketing, promotion, and/or association.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of promoting and/or marketing hockey and/or a method of association of an individual and/or an organization with hockey utilizing a hockey puck puzzle which simulates the appearance of a hockey puck in appearance and preferably colour and shape.

Further and other objects of the invention will become apparent to a man skilled in the art when considering the following summary of the invention and the more detailed description of the preferred embodiments illustrated herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is intended that the term promotion is meant to be read as any marketing effort of a particular organized sport, or that of any organization, such as a corporation, wishing to associate themselves with the sport for marketing purposes.

The primary purpose of the invention is to provide a method of marketing and/or promoting an organized sport and/or a method of association of an individual and/or an organization with organized sports, such as a corporation, utilizing a three-dimensional novelty item, puzzle, and/or gaming object which simulates the appearance, and preferably the color and shape of the gaming object for that particular organized sport. There is also provided a three-dimensional novelty item, puzzle, and/or gaming object which simulates the appearance, and preferably the color and shape of the gaming object for that particular organized sport. Preferably said three-dimensional novelty item, puzzle, and/or gaming object is made from paper or the functional equivalent thereof.

According to a primary object of this invention there is provided a simulated sporting article such as a preferred hockey puck, baseball, basketball, football or the like in the form of a novelty and/or puzzle like article for the promotion of the particular organized sport in question, and preferably hockey. In order to carry out a method of promotion and/or marketing of an organized sport and preferably hockey and/or a method of association of an individual and/or an organization with organized sport, such as a corporation, the three dimensional novelty and/or puzzle like article is provided which simulates the appearance of a sporting object such as a baseball, football, basketball and preferably a hockey puck or the like and simulates said object in three dimensions in appearance and preferably color and shape. One of the surfaces of the simulated-sporting object, for example the preferred hockey puck, may include a separation or split, or said object may be manipulated or transformed in order to preferably transform, manipulate separate or split the gaming object, and preferred hockey puck, from a first position to a second position wherein an image is exposed. Preferably the image includes the images of players in a particular organized sport, and preferably hockey players in the preferred embodiment, game schedules, team logos, and advertising or the like. The three dimensional novelty and/or puzzle may take various forms which will be described hereinafter including disks, spheres, cubes, triangles, ellipsoids or the like.

In one embodiment of the invention there is taught a method of marketing and/or promotion of an organized sport such as hockey, baseball, football, basketball or the like utilizing a simulation of the sporting object used, for example baseball, basketball, football, or hockey, in the form of a novelty and preferably a puzzle which may be transformed or manipulated from a first position wherein the puzzle appears as, or is associated with the gaming object to a second position wherein the gaming object is transformed, manipulated and/or split to expose an image, including for example, a player image, a game schedule, team logos, and suitable advertising information as desired by a corporate sponsor.

Preferably said sporting object, puzzle, or novelty includes a multiplicity of interconnected segments which allows said sporting object, puzzle, or novelty, preferably a hockey puck, to be transformed, manipulated separated or split from a first position to a second position wherein the image is exposed.

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of promotion and/or advertising comprising the steps of:

i) providing an interactive promotional item being a substantially disk shaped body simulating a hockey puck in appearance and shape,

ii) preferably providing a separation or split in said body so as to enable manipulation or transformation thereof,

iii) providing an image of a hockey nature observable preferably when the body is separated or split,

iv) preferably providing images as follows:

i) hockey players which may include statistical information,

ii) hockey schedules, team logos, or the like,

iii) advertising or the like,

v) if necessary or desired returning the body to its unsplit or unseparated condition,

vi) preferably splitting or separating the body in a second manner to observe a different image,

wherein said promotional item may be distributed for promotion purposes to the public having an interest in hockey.

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided method of promotion and/or advertising comprising the steps of:

i) providing an interactive promotional item being a predetermined shaped body simulating a gaming object in appearance and shape, said gaming object being selected from the group of objects of for example, a basket ball, football, baseball soccer ball or the like,

ii) preferably providing a separation or split in said item so as to enable manipulation thereof,

iii) providing an image observable preferably when the item is separated or split,

iv) preferably providing images as follows:

i) players which may include statistical information,

ii) schedules, team logos or the like,

iii) advertising or the like,

v) if required desired returning the item to its unsplit or unseparated condition,

wherein said promotional item may be distributed for promotion purposes to the public having an interest in a particular organized sport.

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a transformable disc shaped promotional item simulating or resembling a hockey puck, said transformable item comprising a top, bottom, and an edge having a predetermined width separating said top and bottom, said top and bottom being substantially circular in shape and having substantially the same diameters, said top having at least one of and preferably a predetermined number of first separations therein interrupting the continuity of surface thereof and extending to the bottom and terminating thereat, not interrupting the continuity of the surface of said bottom, preferably said bottom also having at least one and preferably a predetermined number of second separations therein interrupting the continuity of the surface thereof and extending to the top and terminating thereat not interrupting the continuity of the surface of said top, said promotional item having first panel members extending from said top proximate each of said first separations towards said bottom and being affixed to said bottom but not to adjacent first panel members, preferably said promotional item having second panel members extending from said bottom proximate each of said preferred second separations towards said top and being affixed to said top but not to adjacent second panel members, said first and preferred second panel members having disposed thereon an image, (for example i) an image of a hockey player preferably including their history and statistics, ii) an image of a hockey league schedule, iii) an advertisement, and/or iv) hockey memorabilia or the like) said promotional item being transformable from a non-transformed position, wherein said item substantially resembles a hockey puck, to at least a first transformed position wherein at least one of said first panels is exposed when the promotional item is manipulated from the non-transformed position to the at least one first transformed position, preferably said promotional item also being transformable from the non-transformed position to at least a second transformed position wherein at least one of said second panels is exposed when the promotional item is manipulated from the non-transformed position to the preferred at least one second transformed position, wherein said transformable item may be distributed to the public as a promotional item.

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided an interactive promotional item comprising a predetermined shaped body simulating a gaming object in appearance and shape, said gaming object being selected from the group of objects of a basket ball, football, baseball, soccer ball or the like,

said gaming object having a split or separation therein so as to enable manipulation or transformation thereof,

preferably said object having an image observable when the item is manipulated, said image being selected from the group of images of:

i) players which may include statistical information,

ii) schedules, team logos or the like,

iii) advertising or the like,

wherein said promotional item may be distributed to the public having an interest in a particular organized sport.

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided an interactive promotional item comprising a substantially disk shaped body simulating a hockey puck in appearance and shape,

preferably said item having a split or separation in said body so as to enable manipulation or transformation thereof,

wherein an image of a hockey nature is observable when the body is split, said image being selected from the group of images as follows:

i) hockey players which may include statistical information,

ii) hockey schedules, team logos or the like,

iii) advertising or the like,

wherein said promotional item may be distributed to the public having an interest in hockey.

In all cases when manufacturing the sporting object of the invention the novelty or puzzle or simulated sporting object is manufactured from paper of suitable strength or any functional alternative, for example plastic.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A through 1C are perspective schematic views of one embodiment of the invention. [0055]
FIGS. 2A through 2C are perspective schematic views for another embodiment of the invention. [0056]
FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic perspective views of yet another embodiment of the invention. [0057]
FIGS. 4A through 4G are schematic perspective views of a preferred embodiment of the invention. [0058]
FIGS. 5 and 5A are schematic views of yet another embodiment of the invention. [0059]
FIGS. 6 and 6A are schematic views of another embodiment of the invention. [0060]
FIG. 7 is a schematic view of yet another embodiment of the invention.[0061]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

It is intended that all material contained herein in relation to the description of the various embodiments of the invention be interpreted in relation to a method of promoting and/or marketing a sport by providing sporting enthusiasts with a simulation of the object used for playing the sport, for example a simulated hockey puck, simulated baseball, simulated basketball, simulated football or the like, and putting in the hands of the sporting enthusiasts said item. The size of the simulation may vary in relation to the actual sporting object from very small, for example when simulating a basketball, to larger than life, for example when simulating a golf ball, depending on the choice of sport. [0062]
Various professional and amateur organizations or leagues can utilize such an item to promote the league and the players, team logos or the like. Further, when using the term promotion it is intended that this would include organizations which wish to associate themselves with a particular in sport in order to market the organization, for example the charity or corporation, to sporting enthusiasts. For example, various fast food chains may choose to include their logo with any simulated hockey puck, for example, baseball or otherwise. Any of the various expressions of the sporting article of the invention illustrated herein can be used in association with the aforementioned promotion method. [0063]
Referring to FIGS. 1A through 1C there is illustrated schematic views of a simulated hockey puck ([0064] 10) being formed by two hinged sections (15 and 20) which are moveable in relation to one another and fastened together via a hinge (10 a) as seen in FIG. 1C. The simulated hockey puck (10) includes a top and a bottom section (15 and 20). The top section (15) includes a top surface (15 b) wherein a team logo or that of a league can be affixed thereto and has located on the opposite side on the bottom (15 c) thereof a player image. Similarly, the bottom portion (20) may include an image of a player proximate the bottom surface (20 b) and a player or schedule or corporate or team logo or the like proximate surface (20 c). The novelty item (10) therefor is in a closed position and simulates the appearance of a hockey puck and preferably in colour, that is black, and being substantially disk shaped. Once portion (15) is moved in relation to portion (20) to expose the images (15 c and 20 c) it may be returned to its closed position as seen in FIG. 1C wherein the two portions (15 and 20) and the surfaces (15C and 20C) abut.
Referring now to FIGS. 5, 5A, [0065] 6 and 6A, similar views are shown in relation to the promotion of the sports of baseball and football which would operate in identical manner to those expressed in FIGS. 1A through 1C. The simulated baseball (80) therefore of FIG. 5 includes portions (81 and 82) comprising a top and a bottom portion which are hinged in the same manner as FIGS. 1A through 1C and includes surfaces (81 a and 82 a) which may include various images of team logos, baseball schedules, player images and statistics, and organizational advertising materials. The same is true for the football image of Figure (90), the novelty item (90) therefore includes portions (91 and 92) which are hinged together as is described in relation to the hockey puck example, having surfaces (91 a and 92 a) wherein images as described above in relation to football would be retained.
Referring now to FIGS. 2A through 2C there is illustrated in schematic view an alternative expression to that of FIGS. 1A through 1C. The simulated puck ([0066] 20) therefore includes a top (30) and a ring like portion (40) having sides (41) and a hollow (42) having a bottom, not shown. The top portion (30) is therefore hinged to the portion (40) via a hinge (20 a) proximate the top circumference of portion (40). The top (30 a) of the top portion (30) includes a team logo and may equally include a league logo or other player images or the like. The underside (31) of the top (30) includes images as well and in the figure a player image is illustrated. The space (42) includes a void which may be used to store small items. In another alternative round player trader cards may be inserted in the simulated hockey puck (20) which may be used thereafter as a package in order to sell hockey player trading cards to the sporting enthusiasts.
Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B there is illustrated another embodiment of the invention wherein a simulated hockey puck ([0067] 50) is presented being a hollow disk member, having a top (50 a) and a bottom (50 b) wherein proximate the top a hockey league team logo or alternate image may be presented and proximate the bottom any alternate image may be presented such as a hockey league schedule. The simulated puck therefore (50) can be used with regard to the advertising, promotion and association method described in the Summary of the Invention and hereafter. A separate ring (60) may further be provided for the simulated puck (50) which can be used in addition thereto. But this is not absolutely necessary. A ring (60) if used, has located proximate the exterior thereof (60 b) various windows (60 c and 60 d). The ring portion therefore (60) is of slightly larger diameter than the exterior diameter of the ring portion (50 b) of the simulated puck portion (50). The portion (50) therefore would be assembled with the portion (60) with the portion (60) being free to rotate and yet still having a loose friction fit with regard to the puck portion (50) so that the ring can rotate freely when manipulated. The windows (60 c and 60 d) extend around the surface of the ring (60) and may include alternate opaque and transparent windows which may be rotated in relation to the surface (50 b) of the simulated puck which may include other windows (50 d. The windows (50 d) may include images in relation to team logos, player images, advertising, promotional information for organizations such as corporations or the like, and they are hidden when the window (60 c) covers the window (50 d) until such time as the ring (60) is rotated so that the window (60 d) which is transparent is oriented with the window (50 d) containing the image to expose the image. In another expression the windows (60 c, 60 d, 60 e and 60 f) may be transparent and when rotated in relation to the windows (50 e through 50 i) located proximate one side of the portion (50 b) the words of a particular player name may appear which may be covered again when the windows (60 c through 60 f) are rotated so that opaque portions cover the player name.
Referring now to FIGS. 4A through 4G there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention in the form of a simulated hockey puck taking the form of a puzzle ([0068] 70) which includes a top (70 a) and a bottom (70 b) and has disposed proximate the top thereof (70 a) segments (1A through 1D) separated by splits (71 and 72) and having disposed proximate the bottom thereof (70 b) portions (2A through 2D) formed by separations (73 and 74). The puzzle is formed from substantially triangular shaped wedges (75) which are joined together proximate the edges thereof (76) as well as being joined to, in the case of FIG. 4C, the bottom (70 b) with the various segments (75) being linked together to create surfaces (3A through 3D) and in the case of the top surface (70 a), surfaces (4A, 4B, 5A and 5B). The manipulation of this puzzle is taught in the prior art cited in the background of the invention in relation to the generic disk shape thereof, the teachings of which are hereby incorporated by reference with regard to the form of the puzzle and the manipulation thereof as taught in Great Britain Patent Application No. 2,074,459. It is the intention to utilize the puzzle in relation to the method of marketing and promoting hockey, by the association of images contained on the various surfaces (1A through 1D, 2A through 2D, 3A through 3D and 4A, 4B, 5A and 5B) with organized hockey. The puzzle (70) therefore is transformable by the manipulation of the segment portions (75) to a position shown in FIG. 4D or alternatively to that shown in FIGS. 4E, 4F and 4G. The faces therefore (3A and 3B) either alone or in combination will present the image desired such as a player image with statistical information in the preferred embodiment or a team schedule, logo or advertising information or the like. The puzzle therefore is manipulated to take that position or alternatively to that shown in FIGS. 4F or 4G wherein further team logos or particularly in the preferred embodiment scheduling information for the particular team name, such as the team of FIG. 1A is shown. Further, corporate advertising information and logos may appear for example on surfaces (5A and 5B).
The embodiments therefore of the figures containing a simulated hockey puck may be utilized to promote hockey as described above directly or indirectly, that is by the hockey league itself or by a particular team, or in association with a corporation wishing to associate itself with a particular hockey league or a team in order to market the corporation to sporting enthusiasts. [0069]
It is intended that all of the various forms of the invention may be utilized to promote, market, and foster the particular sporting league or team, or a corporation associating itself, or an organization associating itself such as a charity with a particular sport or team, or league. [0070]
The method of promotion and/or advertising will include the steps of: [0071]
i) providing an interactive promotional item being a substantially disk shaped body simulating a hockey puck in appearance and shape as illustrated in the figures and described above, [0072]
ii) preferably providing a split or separation in said body so as to enable manipulation or transformation thereof, [0073]
iii) providing an image of a hockey nature observable preferably when the body is split or separated, [0074]
iv) preferably providing images as follows: [0075]
i) hockey players which may include statistical information, [0076]
ii) hockey schedules, team logos, or the like, [0077]
iii) advertising or the like, [0078]
v) if necessary desired returning the body to its unsplit condition, [0079]
vi) preferably splitting the body in a second manner to observe a different image, [0080]
wherein said promotional item may be distributed for promotion purposes to the public having an interest in hockey. [0081]
According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided method of promotion and/or advertising comprising the steps of: [0082]
i) providing an interactive promotional item being a predetermined shaped body simulating a gaming object in appearance and shape, said gaming object being selected from the group of objects of for example, a basket ball, football, baseball soccer ball or the like, [0083]
ii) preferably providing a split or separation in said item so as to enable manipulation thereof, [0084]
iii) providing an image observable preferably when the item is split, [0085]
iv) preferably providing images as follows: [0086]
i) players which may include statistical information, [0087]
ii) schedules, team logos or the like, [0088]
iii) advertising or the like, [0089]
v) if required desired returning the item to its unsplit condition, [0090]
vi) preferably splitting the body in a second manner to observe a different image, [0091]
wherein said promotional item may be distributed for promotion purposes to the public having an interest in a particular organized sport. [0092]
Finally, with regard to FIG. 7 there is provided a generic cubic puzzle which is taught in the prior art which may also be used in order to exploit the method of the present invention. The puzzle ([0093] 100) therefore includes segments (100 a) which are interconnected together in a manner as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,244 the teachings of which are hereby incorporated by reference. The surface (101) and the various side and bottom surfaces which are unlabelled may also contain images or information related to a particular sport and where appropriate graphical images of the various sporting object such as a football, baseball, basketball, soccer ball, golf ball, hockey puck or the like may be disposed on any one of said surfaces (101). Similarly, alternative shapes such as those known in the prior art of triangular shapes, pyramid shapes or the like may be utilized in exploiting the invention without departing from the scope of the invention.
As many changes can be made to the preferred embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention; it is intended that all matter contained herein be considered illustrative of the invention and not in a limiting sense. [0094]

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are as follows:

1. A method of marketing and/or promoting an organized sport and/or a method of association of an individual and/or an organization with organized sports, such as a corporation. utilizing a three-dimensional novelty item, puzzle, and/or gaming object which simulates the appearance, and preferably the color and shape of the gaming object for that particular organized sport.

2. A three-dimensional novelty item, puzzle, and/or gaming object which simulates the appearance, and preferably the color and shape of the gaming object for that particular organized sport, said three-dimensional novelty item, puzzle, and/or gaming object being made from paper or the functional equivalent thereof.

3. A simulated sporting article such as a preferred hockey puck, baseball, basketball, football or the like in the form of a novelty and/or puzzle like article for the promotion of the particular organized sport in question, the three dimensional novelty and/or puzzle like article simulating the appearance of a sporting object such as a baseball, football, basketball and preferably a hockey puck or the like and simulates said object in three dimensions in appearance and preferably color and shape, one of the surfaces of the simulated sporting object, for example the preferred hockey puck, including a separation or split, or said object may be manipulated or transformed in order to preferably transform, manipulate separate or split the gaming object, and preferred hockey puck, from a first position to a second position wherein an image is exposed.

4. The three dimensional novelty and/or puzzle of claim 3 which takes various forms selected from the group including disks, spheres, cubes, triangles, ellipsoids or the like.

5. A method of marketing and/or promotion of an organized sport such as hockey, baseball, football, basketball or the like utilizing a simulation of the sporting object used, for example baseball, basketball, football, or hockey, in the form of a novelty and preferably a puzzle which may be transformed or manipulated from a first position wherein the puzzle appears as, or is associated with the gaming object to a second position wherein the gaming object is transformed, manipulated and/or split to expose an image.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said image is selected from the group of a player image, a game schedule, team logos, and suitable advertising information as desired by a corporate sponsor.

7. The sporting object, puzzle, or novelty of claim 3 further comprising a multiplicity of interconnected segments which allows said sporting object, puzzle, or novelty, preferably a hockey puck, to be transformed, manipulated separated or split from a first position to a second position wherein the image is exposed.

8. A method of promotion and/or advertising comprising the steps of:

iv) preferably providing images as follows:

i) hockey players which may include statistical information,

ii) hockey schedules, team logos, or the like,

iii) advertising or the like,

9. A method of promotion and/or advertising comprising the steps of:

iv) preferably providing images as follows:

i) players which may include statistical information,

ii) schedules, team logos or the like,

iii) advertising or the like,

10. A transformable disc shaped promotional item simulating or resembling a hockey puck, said transformable item comprising a top, bottom, and an edge having a predetermined width separating said top and bottom, said top and bottom being substantially circular in shape and having substantially the same diameters, said top having at least one of and preferably a predetermined number of first separations therein interrupting the continuity of surface thereof and extending to the bottom and terminating thereat, not interrupting the continuity of the surface of said bottom, preferably said bottom also having at least one and preferably a predetermined number of second separations therein interrupting the continuity of the surface thereof and extending to the top and terminating thereat not interrupting the continuity of the surface of said top, said promotional item having first panel members extending from said top proximate each of said first separations towards said bottom and being affixed to said bottom but not to adjacent first panel members, preferably said promotional item having second panel members extending from said bottom proximate each of said preferred second separations towards said top and being affixed to said top but not to adjacent second panel members, said first and preferred second panel members having disposed thereon an image, (for example i) an image of a hockey player preferably including their history and statistics, ii) an image of a hockey league schedule, iii) an advertisement, and/or, iv) hockey memorabilia or the like, said promotional item being transformable from a non-transformed position, wherein said item substantially resembles a hockey puck, to at least a first transformed position wherein at least one of said first panels is exposed when the promotional item is manipulated from the non-transformed position to the at least one first transformed position, preferably said promotional item also being transformable from the non-transformed position to at least a second transformed position wherein at least one of said second panels is exposed when the promotional item is manipulated from the non-transformed position to the preferred at least one second transformed position, wherein said transformable item may be distributed to the public as a promotional item.

11. An interactive promotional item comprising a predetermined shaped body simulating a gaming object in appearance and shape, said gaming object being selected from the group of objects of a basket ball, football, baseball, soccer ball or the like,

i) players which may include statistical information,

ii) schedules, team logos or the like,

iii) advertising or the like,

12. An interactive promotional item comprising a substantially disk shaped body simulating a hockey puck in appearance and shape,

i) hockey players which may include statistical information,

ii) hockey schedules, team logos or the like,

iii) advertising or the like,

13. The sporting object of claim 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 11, or 12 wherein the novelty or puzzle or simulated sporting object is manufactured from paper of suitable strength or any functional alternative, for example plastic.

14. The method of promotion of claim 1, 5, 6, 8, or 9 wherein the novelty or puzzle or simulated sporting object is manufactured from paper of suitable strength or any functional alternative, for example plastic.