NorCal Rumble 品牌发布周：以野花主题系列活动亮相湾区
How This Major League Volleyball Team Made Its Brand Launch Bloom
为庆祝加入 Major League Volleyball（MLV）2027 赛季扩编球队，湾区职业排球队 NorCal Rumble 于9月17日至27日举办为期一周的品牌发布活动。
This colorful installation was located at Tech CU Arena, where NorCal Rumble will play their games, during the team's brand launch. It is a moveable piece that the team plans to incorporate into their in-game experience throughout the season. During the launch, it was used as a backdrop for media interviews.Photo: Courtesy of NorCal Rumble
SAN JOSE, CALIF.—Talk about a force of nature. To celebrate the launch of NorCal Rumble—one of four expansion teams added to Major League Volleyball (MLV) for the upcoming 2027 season—the Bay Area pro team produced a weeklong series of activations to introduce its brand identity to volleyball fans and non-fans alike.
The launch combined wildflower-arranging bars (a nod to its logo), collaborations with local flower shops, a youth workshop, a media roadshow, partnerships with other Bay Area sports teams, and an interactive installation at Tech CU Arena to introduce the team across Northern California. The events ran Sept. 17-27.
When it came to planning this complex reveal, team president Heather Vaughan said her team took an omnichannel approach.
"We thought, 'Let's fire on all cylinders when it comes to storytelling. Let's be in the community. Let's showcase that we're all of Northern California, not just San Jose. Let's also give back in a way that makes sense,'" she explained.
Photo: Courtesy of NorCal Rumble
For the live events, one of the main goals was to reach beyond already established volleyball fans. Enter: Rumble Bloom Bars in high-traffic destinations across the Bay Area. These bars gave the first 31 fans—referencing the fact that California was the 31st state admitted to the U.S.—at each location the opportunity to create a free wildflower bouquet. To participate, fans followed the team on Instagram and signed up for its newsletter.
Building on the wildflower theme, NorCal Rumble also went further into the community with an initiative that had the team partnering with 12 local, women- and family-owned flower shops. Each shop gifted 12—referencing the 12 teams now in the MLV—pre-made wildflower bouquets to fans who mentioned the team's name and shared their emails. All 144 bouquets were claimed.
Photo: Courtesy of NorCal Rumble
"That's really where the love was in this campaign," Vaughan says of the many intentional details behind the activations, such as those numbers representing important facts. "All of the wildflowers were also sustainably and locally sourced from Northern California. This idea of the wildflower being so resilient is such a core part of our brand, so that was an important piece of why the wildflower [was used] across the board."
The Rumble also hosted a flower-arranging youth workshop in a partnership with Starting Arts Studio in San Jose. The after-school program allowed young artists to celebrate the team launch and learn from a local florist alongside Rumble player Allie Scezch.
Photo: Zelda Saltzman
Launch week events also took the form of a media roadshow, where Vaughan and team co-owner, three-time Olympic gold medalist, and Bay Area native Kerri Walsh Jennings celebrated the team branding reveal with local media and delivered custom Rumble-branded PR packages.
The team even reached out to other Bay Area sports teams, from professional to minor to collegiate, by sending branded cookies to their front offices. The San Francisco Giants also invited Rumble players Taylor Landfair and Whitney McEwan to their game against the Minnesota Twins. The two athletes helped kick off the seventh-inning stretch. Meanwhile, Vaughan, Sczech, and general manager E. Ashley Dean-Gulbranson attended a San Jose Sharks game against the Golden Knights. They were featured in a game for a Rumble-branded giveaway.
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Photo: Courtesy of NorCal Rumble
The team reached high school athletes as well, showing up to a few matches at schools with personal ties to team players and investors.
"It was just amazing to see how the community embraced us," Vaughan said.
Launch week closed out with a Sip & Serve fan event at Sports Basement Almaden. Anyone in the community was welcome, while founding season ticket deposit holders were treated to a special gift. All attendees could enjoy brunch and volleyball activities, shop merch, and meet Rumble players.
Though Vaughan and her team worked remotely with each other on this elaborate launch—and faced tight timelines and regional logistics challenges—she credited detailed planning, clear ownership, and team trust for bringing everything together successfully.
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Photo: Courtesy of NorCal Rumble
Colorful team jackets helped, too.
"We had these very bold orange jackets that everyone was wearing to everything, which was a strategic move," said Rumble marketing director Lizzy Kell. "Heather and I went to a Valkyries game at the end of the week, and as I was walking home—I was already like 10 blocks away—someone tapped me on my shoulder and said, 'Oh my gosh, I've been seeing your stuff everywhere. Can you tell me more?'"
Keep scrolling to see key vendors and more from NorCal Rumble's launch week...
VENDORS
Bloom Bars: Cogs & Marvel
Brand Sizzle Video Production: Trapeze LTD
VIP Kits: Gifts for the Good Life
Wildflower Class: Shared Arts Center
Rumble Bloom Bars set up shop in high-traffic locations around the Bay Area—like this one in San Fran's Ghirardelli Square—as a way to reach beyond already established volleyball fans. Photo: Chloe Jackman Photography
The first 31 people at each bloom bar could make their wildflower bouquet for free. Photo: Courtesy of NorCal Rumble
Scanning this QR code unlocked the bloom bar experience for passersby. Photo: Courtesy of NorCal Rumble
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The team hosted a youth flower-arranging workshop at Starting Arts Studio in San Jose. Photo: Zelda Saltzman
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These custom "Rumble Kit" VIP boxes, made with Gifts for the Good Life, went out to deposit holders, influencers, and prominent voices across the Bay Area. Each box featured merch, nature-inspired elements, and "Feel the Rumble" messaging. Photo: Courtesy of NorCal Rumble
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Rumble players Taylor Landfair and Whitney McEwan attended a San Francisco Giants game to help lead a seventh-inning stretch. Photo: Courtesy of NorCal Rumble
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Meanwhile, Rumble player Izzi Strand attended a high school volleyball match at her alma mater, Monte Vista High School, in Danville. She gave the team a pre-game pep talk and Rumble-branded gifts. Photo: Courtesy of NorCal Rumble
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Community outreach even extended to city hall. To mark the launch, the City of San Jose recognized Sept. 22 as "NorCal Rumble Day" with an official proclamation at San Jose City Hall. Photo: Courtesy of NorCal Rumble
Launch week concluded with a Sip & Serve event that was open to the community. Attendees could meet with and get autographs from Rumble players. Photo: Courtesy of NorCal Rumble
Attendees could also enjoy a mimosa bar. Photo: Courtesy of NorCal Rumble
NorCal Rumble's inaugural season will begin next year, with home games at Tech CU Arena. Photo: Courtesy of NorCal Rumble
About the Author
Editorial Director
Sarah Kloepple is the editorial director for BizBash and has been with the brand since 2022. She previously held editor roles at Meetings Today and St. Louis Magazine.
来源：BizBash · bizbash.com