Argonauts buy fans beers, play bocce in welcome to new neighbourhood

The Toronto Argonauts are moving to a new area of the city this year, heading west from the Rogers Centre to BMO Field, and this weekend saw them team up with a pub in their new Liberty Village neighbourhood to make a good first impression. The Argos first took over the CN Tower, then headed to Local Public Eatery Liberty Village to buy fans drinks, serve drinks, play bocce and more:

This is a brilliant marketing move from the Argos, and a way to get their team on the radar of some local fans who might not know about them otherwise. It's particularly appropriate considering that they just announced there will be authorized tailgating at the new stadium (fans will have to buy alcohol there thanks to Ontario liquor laws, but can bring their own food and grills). It's also great to see such buy-in from the Argonauts' players, showing up for something like this in an effort to promote the team. (Of course, they got to play some bocce as well, and that's always an excellent way to spend a day.) Moves like this should do a lot to get the Argonauts noticed and help build excitement ahead of their season opener in the new stadium on June 23. The extensive new marketing approach is a far cry from the limited investment we saw under former owner David Braley, and it may be key to helping them find off-field success in their new home.