New Balance's sports equipment brand Brine is ramping up awareness by leveraging a free giveaway of its popular Brine Shootout 2 gaming application, proving that mobile games are still relevant for sports brands.

From March 27 through April 5, lacrosse fans will be able to download the Shootout 2 app in an effort for the brand to provide mobile users with the ultimate spring break for their devices and fingers. Sports enthusiasts have played the arcade-style mobile game nearly 50,000 times since its launch in September 2014, prompting the brand to offer it for free for a limited time to reward existing consumers and potentially gain new users.

?Brine has a long tradition of bringing the lacrosse experience to mobile users with three popular apps available to fans: Shootout, Hotshot and now, Shootout 2,? said Jonathan Welzel, head of digital marketing strategy at New Balance, Brighton, MA. ?Shootout 2 is an evolution of the experience users have grown to love?bringing an even better game with more challenges to lacrosse fans, as well as mobile gaming enthusiasts.

?Making the app free for this spring break, (March 27-April 5) is a great way to celebrate lacrosse season and thank our fans for being such loyal proponents of Brine.?

Pleasing lacrosse fans
Brine?s original Shootout game has seen over six million games played from more than 250,000 unique visitors. The brand claims that lacrosse fans and other sports enthusiasts are still downloading the apps today frequently.

Brine's items include durable lacrosse gear alongside an apparel line, field hockey and volleyball equipment and athletic footwear.

Shootout 2 features new 3D graphics of lacrosse defenders, who show off realistic reactions and movements during the game. It also features realistic collision detection so that users? true skills will be tested.

Fans will be excited to experience seven new levels by warming up in the Backyard and playing at High School, College and Pro status before the challenging All Star level. Two bonus levels, Street and Space, are also available.

New music is featured in Shootout 2, with different tracks set for each level of the game. Lastly, six new Power-Ups are available for serious lacrosse fans or those who want to practice their moves for a real upcoming game.

?Shootout 2 allows lacrosse enthusiasts to perfect their shooting skills, at all levels?from backyard games to all star moves, all while using state-of-the-art Brine gear,? Mr. Welzel said. ?New power-ups and fun experiences like outer space shooting, make this a game players will be playing again and again.?

Driving brand awareness
The brand will be providing unlockable lacrosse gear for users to discover, including the King Magnum 170 handle and Clutch III head. This is an optimal strategy to leverage within the app, as consumers will essentially receive branded material as incentives to continue the game.

It could also be an effective call-to-action to virtually try out the sporting products before deciding to purchase.

Consumers will also receive more time bonuses once they unlock additional gear.

Shootout 2 records users? games in the event they would like to share personal videos on social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter. If a user does not want to a post a video of his or her face while playing, solo scores can be posted on the platforms instead.

?Like any growing and evolving brand, with a young, active audience, mobile is an important way of connecting and creating brand loyalty,? Mr. Welzel said. ?Fans of Brine are a constantly engaged group, who like a challenge and are ready to engage with a sport they love.

?Mobile allows us to do that.?

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York