This time Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade’s super hero Agent D3 is late for practice in the second installment of Jordan Brand’s “Dominate Another Day” ad campaign.
Called “Escape,” the new ad shows Wade trapped in the Zen Master’s Lair, while ‘H’ (Kevin Hart) enjoys a holiday party. Instead of battling the streets of Miami as he did in the ad’s first installment, Wade uses a basketball to help fight enemies –- snakes, ninjas -- in the ad that gives nods to Indiana Jones and James Bond.
The new ad breaks during the Heat-Los Angeles Lakers Christmas Day game at 5 p.m. Saturday.
In addition to those five NBA games on Christmas Day, fans watching the games on ESPN and ABC will be treated to a couple of new T-Mobile ads featuring Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade and Charles Barkley.
The entertaining and splashy ads keep giving. These are directed by Spike Lee and include appearances by Lee, Steve Nash and Cool and Dre. They target T-Mobile’s 4G devices.
Wade stars in one called “Outta Here,” in which a misunderstanding turns into a modern day version of “telephone” with the sports world suddenly believing Wade wants to be traded from the Heat. Gasp.
The other, called “Chuck’s Remix,” mixes some of Barkley’s commentary into a viral musical video sensation. Just imagine Barkley’s reaction.
Denver Broncos and former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow didn't go with Gatorade, but is instead endorsing FRS Healthy Energy.
Tebow joins the FRS Healthy Energy Team, which also counts Lance Armstrong among its athletes.
Tebow will serve as an ambassador for the company, appearing in ads and marketing campaigns. The partnership also kicks off with FRS donating 25 percent of the purchase of Tebow’s favorite FRS products to the Tim Tebow Foundation. Read more about the partnership here.
Whether you’re live at AmericanAirlines Arena or watching Miami Heat games on TV, you’ve likely noticed the new courtside digital signage that changes frequently and can be altered during games.
ANC Sports Enterprises, a sports marketing company specializing in signage, produces the technology the replaces static or rotational signage under the scorer’s and broadcaster’s tables courtside. The technology gives teams and sponsors more potential advertising inventory and allows them to tailor messages specifically to game results and statistics. For example, if a player records a triple double, a pizza parlor could advertise a two-pizza deal with three toppings, an ANC spokesman said.
“We are committed to providing our partners with different courtside signage options which create marketing opportunities based on each team’s objectives,” Jerry Cifarelli, ANC Sports president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. “ANC’s state-of-the-art digital signage applications and patented software solutions generate new creative opportunities courtside while transforming the event experience throughout an arena.”
Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade’s new Jordan Brand commercial is decidedly different from new teammate LeBron James’ new Nike ad.
“Dominate Another Day” shows Wade as super hero Agent D3 starting his quest for another NBA championship. “Time to bring the rings back to Miami,” he says. With Miami as his backdrop, he flies through the air, he rides a motorcycle and defies all sorts of obstacles.
(The ad is not for a specific shoe -- in case you're wondering, Wade is wearing the Jordan 2010 Team shoe to start the season).
It's an installment in a season-long campaign. The ad ends with: To be continued….
A new Nike ad featuring Miami Heat forward LeBron James called “Rise” begins airing Tuesday night in conjunction with the start of the 2010-11 NBA season and the launch of the Nike LeBron 8 shoe at retail.
James is shown in a variety of situations, speaking his mind about his controversial decision this summer to join the Heat and his future. It even includes a segment with Don Johnson a la “Miami Vice” and features James saying “I am not a role model.”
The ad will air during TNT’s broadcast of the Heat’s highly-anticipated opening game against the Boston Celtics and during sports and entertainment programming across national networks into next month.
Bosh will appear in ads and make appearances on behalf of the company. He is already driving a 2011 Land Rover Range Rover from Warren Henry, which he dubbed “the ultimate in sport-utility luxury.”
“I am very excited to partner with Warren and his family of dealerships,” Bosh said in a statement.
Added owner Warren Henry Zinn, “Adding Chris Bosh to the Warren Henry Automotive team is synonymous with winning. Chris brings an element of prestige, excitement and unbeatable success that can’t be matched.” (See photo of Bosh and Zinn, courtesy of Warren Henry).
Legendary Dolphins coach Don Shula is also an ambassador for the company. Over the years, Warren Henry has partnered with a number of South Florida athletes, including Heat guard Dwyane Wade, Dolphins running back Ricky Williams and speedskater Jennifer Rodriguez.
Beber Silverstein Group has used the iconic thought bubbles on its Coral Way office façade to promote its marketing and advertising business with a variety of messages that reflect current events, fund-raising for natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, holidays, and even its Twitter feed @thinkbsg.
For example, a holiday one in 2009 read “Madoff is in Prison, Healthcare is in Debate. 2009 is almost over… Happier Holidays, from Beber Silverstein.”
Since last month, BSG has been using the Miami Heat’s offseason acquisitions of LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining Dwyane Wade to gain attention.
One bubble says “If you had Wade, Bosh & James on your team, you could sell out without advertising” and the other points out “But you don’t, so call 305-856-9800."
A clever message considering the Heat sold out its season ticket inventory hours before James even announced he was definitely coming to Miami.
“We’ve certainly gotten a lot of attention to it. More compliments than on any in a while,” said Joe Perz, the company’s executive vice president, creative director. “I like that it was a little arrogant. Everybody was talking about the dream team coming here.”
The bubbles have also spurred some business, Perz said.
The company changes the message every few months, which isn’t easy to do these days. In the era of digital signage and laser printing, BSG still has the signs hand-painted by a Miami man who works from a cherry-picker and only on weekends.
Mike LaMonica, BSG’s senior vice president business development and director of social media, says the company has become known for its bubbles, which were started in the early 1990s.
“Our clients love them. Prospects who come and visit us love them,” LaMonica said. “People who drive by love them. We’ve gotten many compliments on our Facebook page, on our Twitter page. I’ve gotten many phone calls with compliments, also many phone calls with submissions. I’ve also gotten many phone calls from people who wanted to advertise there.”
The company has yet to allow anyone else to advertise there or taken submissions, although it might consider submitted suggestions in the future, LaMonica said.
Just in time for college football season, online ticket marketplace StubHub continues its march across Florida and into the ACC, adding the University of Miami and Florida State to its 15 other college and conference partners.
The partnerships mean UM and FSU fans have another option for buying and selling tickets to their favorite college team. Both schools include links right on their websites (UM and FSU) to StubHub’s ticket inventory.
As part of the partnerships with both schools, StubHub will have in-stadium signage, promotions and other advertising.
Additionally, Hurricanes fans can grab their tickets at the company’s brand new “Last Minute Services” pickup location in Miami, which was opened last month to accommodate demand for tickets to the new-look Miami Heat. StubHub typically halts sales two days before an event to accommodate express delivery. The company has last-minute pick-up offices in 10 other markets.
And with college football opening tonight, ticket sales for Florida and Florida State rank in StubHub’s top 25 in volume. Alabama and Ohio State rank first and second – just as they do in the AP’s Top 25. The Gators rank 11th in ticket sales and 4th in the AP poll; and the Seminoles rank 22nd in ticket sales and 20th in the AP poll.
South Florida’s most famous college football game has a new moniker: Discover Orange Bowl.
Discover Financial Services, operator of the Discover card, has reached agreement with the Orange Bowl Committee and ESPN to title sponsor the BCS game for the next four years and five bowl games, including the national championship game in 2013. The contract runs from 2011 through 2014.
“As title sponsor of the Orange Bowl, Discover will be rewarding their card members all year long with exclusive benefits, including ticket offers and unique experiences at the Discover Orange Bowl,” Harit Talwar, president of US.S. Cards for Discover said in a statement. “It’s a great way to show how it pays to Discover.”
After 21 years – the longest reign as title sponsor of a BCS game – FedEx announced earlier this year, it was dropping its Orange Bowl sponsorship.
“Discover’s commitment to the Orange Bowl reinforces the game’s national strength and appeal as one of the premier sporting events in the country,” Orange Bowl Committee CEO Eric Poms said in a statement. “We welcome Discover to South Florida and the home of championship college football and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership. Our shared passion will leave a lasting impact on our community, while further enriching the 77-year history of the Orange Bowl.”
Add new Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the list of famous Warren Henry Automobiles spokesmen.
Marshall’s now an “Official Brand Manager” for the luxury car dealerships, meaning he’ll appear in ads and will make appearances for the company. He’s also driving a new gray 2011 Jaguar XJ from Warren Henry Jaguar in Miami. (See Marshall above with a 2011 Jaguar XJ, photo courtesy of Warren Henry).
“I am thrilled to partner with Warren and his family of dealerships,” Marshall said in a statement. “The Jaguar XJ that I am now driving is super hot, super charged and I can’t wait to ‘Unleash the Best.’”
Over the years, Warren Henry has partnered with a number of South Florida athletes, including Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, Dolphins running back Ricky Williams and speedskater Jennifer Rodriguez.
With FedEx announcing earlier this year it was dropping its title sponsorship of the Orange Bowl college football game after 21 years – marking the longest reign as title sponsor of a BCS game – ESPN has been in negotiations with potential corporate partners for the game’s name.
The financial services company, which operates the Discover Card, has orange in its logo.
"We are engaged in active discussions with several advertisers around the Orange Bowl and will make an announcement at the appropriate time,” ESPN spokeswoman Amy Phillips said in a statement.
The Orange Bowl Committee is not negotiating the deal but is in regular communication with ESPN about it.
“We are in regular discussions with ESPN regarding the title sponsorship of the Orange Bowl,” Orange Bowl Committee CEO Eric Poms said in a statement. “There are active conversations in the marketplace around the title sponsorship of the Orange Bowl, which is viewed as a premier property and presents a tremendous marketing opportunity.”
The Orange Bowl committee announced FedEx as its game title sponsor in 1989 for the 1990 game -- before the Bowl Championship Series was formed in 1998. The Orange, Sugar, Rose and Fiesta bowls each host a BCS bowl game and the fifth BCS game is the national championship game, which rotates among the four bowls.
The Orange Bowl next hosts the national championship game in 2013.
With the announcement this week that the Eagles will be playing a concert at BankAtlantic Center on Oct. 8, the band is getting some extra exposure by branding Panthers Training Camp 2010. Training camp will get the special logo at left and the partnership will appear on the team’s website; at the Saveology.com Iceplex, where the team trains; and in advertisements and news releases. Training camp runs from Sept. 11 to Oct. 10.
“Panthers Training Camp 2010 presented by the Eagles is an innovative program unlike anything that has ever been done in the sports and entertainment industry,” Panthers President Michael Yormark said in a statement. “It is also proof that our organization is willing to use all the resources at our disposal to promote concerts, shows and events that visit the BankAtlantic Center.”
Rather than an actual sponsorship agreement in which money exchanges hands -- that's not happening here -- the deal is a marketing partnership that aims to help sell tickets to the Eagles concert. A Panthers spokesman said the turnaround for ticket sales is short, and the partnership provides additional promotion for the band. Spurring tickets sales in turn helps the Panthers, who operate the Broward County-owned arena.
“It’s very unusual,” said Jim Andrews, editorial director at IEG Sponsorship Report. “We’ve certainly had what we would consider two properties sponsor each other, like Six Flags sponsor a NASCAR, something like that, but in particular a music concert sponsoring a sports property, that’s very likely the first of its kind.”
However, Andrews said he doesn’t expect it to become a trend.
It’s part of milk’s “Refuel America” program that seeks to inform the public about the benefits of “refueling” during the two hours after exercising. Lowfat chocolate milk has the components to help rebuild what exercisers lose during their workouts, the campaign says.
"Lowfat chocolate milk is an important part of my recovery plan – plus it tastes great," Bosh said in a statement. "I'm excited to be part of this important campaign to help teach athletes the importance of fitness and nutrition, and how drinking chocolate milk can help them refuel after exercise."
Learn more and see behind the scenes photos from the ad shoot here.
Jockey International announced today that former Gator and current Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has signed on as the underwear company’s newest spokesman.
Tebow, shown here in a Jockey Classic T-shirt, will promote several of Jockey’s lines, including the “Staycool” collection that is scheduled to be released in the spring. He’ll also be in the company’s catalog, TV, print and online ads.
"I'm excited to represent the Jockey brand,” Tebow said in a statement. “I've long been a fan and consumer of Jockey and I'm looking forward to a great relationship with such a respectable and innovative company."
Added Jockey Chairman and CEO Debra S. Waller: “Tim is a highly gifted athlete with a positive attitude and an admirable character. We at Jockey see a very bright future with Tim, and believe that he is an excellent representative for the brand. Tim is genuine, smart and driven and those qualities align well with Jockey. We look forward to building a long and collaborative relationship with him in the coming years.”
I'm guessing Tebow isn't likely to model -- or pitch -- his Jockeys in quite the same manner as Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer did in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The Miami Heat is continuing to ramp up pressure on its superstar guard to re-sign with the team through its We Want Wade campaign.
The team has put up a billboard with the signature portion of a contract on the 79th Street Causeway hoping to capture Wade’s attention. It simply includes the dotted line with an X, Wade’s name and an arrow indicating where to sign. Check out the photo by Brentan Debysingh, Miami Heat.
If Wade does re-sign, the team is exploring having Wade actually sign the giant billboard.
The team launched the We Want Wade campaign and its accompanying wewantwade.com website last month. Billboards and banners have been going up across “Wade County” and fans have been posting messages and videos to the site encouraging Wade to stay with the Heat. Fans can also order a We Want Wade fan kit, which includes window clings, bracelets and stickers, or download a digital version.
Wade is expected to exercise his option to become a free agent by July 1 and he has said repeatedly he would like to remain with the Heat.
Developed by Hi-Voltage Advertising of Boca Raton, the campaign is meant to invoke the “passionate and emotional experience and party atmosphere of Panthers home games at the BankAtlantic Center,” according to a team release. Radio ads called “Playground” were to begin airing yesterday.
Here the Panthers and Hi-Voltage weigh in:
“Florida Panthers hockey at the BankAtlantic Center is unique in that it captivates fans through both the action on the ice and the excitement of the in-arena experience,” Panthers President Michael Yormark said in a statement. “There is no doubt that Cats hockey provides the best entertainment value and most fun sports atmosphere in South Florida. During the 2010-11 season, the real party is at the BankAtlantic Center.”
Hi-Voltage President Pete Gary adds: "Our goal at Hi-Voltage was to create a commercial featuring the entertainment experience for the first-timer to the diehard hockey fan. We wanted to showcase the fun, excitement and party atmosphere of being at the BankAtlantic Center for a Panthers game, whether it was with your family or with your friends for a night out.”
As you might imagine, the slogan has already generated jokes and detractors. It’s like it’s ripe for an insert joke here: “We Came To Play.” Uh, isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?
Some comments about the campaign on The Litter Box Panthers fan discussion blog include: “I don’t want to root for a team that just comes to play. I want a team that wins!” And “I appreciate the effort, but it leaves room for comments to follow it. We came to play, but we weren’t ready.We came to play, but we didn’t feel like it.”
As luck would have it, the campaign includes a ticket deal: “The Panthers are encouraging fans to bring their friends to party” with a “Buy One, Get One Half Off” offer on full season ticket plans through the NHL Draft on June 25. See ad for the ticket offer with new slogan below.
Meanwhile, new GM Dale Tallon – the news of his arrival has caused some fans to party – and Coach Peter DeBoer are scheduled to attend the first Cats Cookout of 2010 next Thursday, June 10. The free barbecue that includes live music and a chance to meet Tallon, DeBoer, Panthers broadcasters and alumni. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. at BankAtlantic Center. RSVP at 954-835-PUCK.
As Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade sat in a Miami-Dade Circuit courtroom for a second day in a trial on a lawsuit in which he is accused of breaching his contract in a failed restaurant endeavor, the Heat kicked off a fan campaign to keep him in on the team.
Although he has said he would like to stay in Miami, Wade is expected to exercise his option to become a free agent on July 1, and so the Heat has launched its “We Want Wade” campaign complete with its own website, advertising and fan messaging.
WeWantWade.com includes video highlights, updates on the campaign and a place for fans to leave messages expressing their desire to keep Wade a member of the Heat. There are also tips as to how to treat Wade if you see him out in public – such as chanting “We Want Wade” or sending a dessert to his table if you see him at a restaurant. South Florida fans can also order a We Want Wade fan kit that includes window clings, bracelets and stickers. Out of town Heat fans can download a digital version from the site.
Billboards and other advertisements are going up around South Florida and across what’s been dubbed “Wade County.”
“The goal is to create an affirmative, positive campaign that allows the community to let Wade know that they want him to stay in Miami and what they are willing to do to make sure Wade ‘feels the love’,” according to a team release about the campaign.
During a break in the trial, Wade said he was surprised by the campaign, but pleased.
“I just found that out,” he said of the campaign. “I thought it was hilarious. But I appreciate it. I do, I really do.”
The contest pitted teams in the NASCAR Kinetics program -- which is akin to an internship in which they learned about promoting and marketing the stock car racing circuit -- at six universities with the grand prize being a trip to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star week next month in Charlotte, including garage tours, pace car ride, and pre-race and victory lane access. The competing colleges were Howard in Washington, DC, Notre Dame, Coastal Carolina University, Clark Atlanta University, Central Michigan University and Winston-Salem State University.
The students worked on case studies all involving NASCAR promotion and marketing with the final project being holding a race-viewing party. With help and goodies from M&Ms, sponsor of Kyle Busch's No. 18 M&M's Toyota and creator of M&M's Most Colorful Fan of NASCAR contest, the students were to arrange and promote the viewing parties on-campus. The groups were judged on their success and creativity at hosting their parties.
The Howard group managed to win, even though the Texas race scheduled for April 18 was delayed a day due to rain.
NASCAR said the Howard group stood out for incorporating M&Ms eating and colorful fan face painting contests, a NASCAR educational component and live entertainment.
They encouraged students to attend their party with this commercial.
Here you can watch video footage from their party:
The Miami Dolphins are returning to their original Spanish language radio partner WQBA (1140-AM) under a new multi-year broadcast rights agreement with Univision Radio announced today.
WQBA will broadcast Dolphins exhibition and regular season games in Spanish. Sister stations, WAMR-FM, WRTO-FM and WAQI-AM, will run team promotions.
The Spanish language play-by-play announcer and color analysts have not yet been announced.
The Dolphins have most recently had Spanish language radio broadcasts on WSUA (Radio Caracol, 1260-AM).
Univision and the team’s recently created Dolphins Integrated Media Group will jointly sell the advertising for the programming, which will include a live, two-hour weekday broadcast of Dolphins news and the week's matchup during the season.
+ More than 3,800 people attended Thursday night’s Dolphins draft party at Sun Life Stadium, where they waited for player and cheerleader autographs, played interactive games, got to see TD and cheerleaders perform, and watched the new Dolphins radio partner 940 WINZ-AM broadcast live. Among the most popular attractions was the Dolphins garage sale, in which hardhats, jackets, jerseys and highlight films (on film in canisters) were selling for $5 to $20.
The party was scheduled to end at 10 p.m., but after the Dolphins traded their No. 12 pick to move down to 28 -- meaning their pick would come after the party's end -- team officials allowed fans to stay. Those that did were pleased with the trade down and a bit dumbfounded when the team picked Penn State defensive tackle Jared Odrick, especially when Texas linebacker Sergio Kindle was still on the board.
+ Passing this on a little late, from Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal -- a look at how teams overspend on top draft picks compared to their performance on the field. Perhaps it’s not so surprising teams trade down.
+ And what’s not to love here – first round draft picks and Subway endorsers Ndamukong Suh and C.J. Spiller rendered entirely in sandwich fixings, including pepperoni, olives and cheese, by the folks at Subway. Read Yahoo’s Shutdown Corner blog item on the meaty sculptures.
+ “Tim Tebow Broncos jersey” is currently registering as the sixth most popular search term on Google. Probably all those Tebow fans getting ready for his homecoming when the Jacksonville Jaguars open the season on Sept. 12 against, you guessed it, the Denver Broncos.
Perhaps it was just as well the Florida Marlins’ 2010 home opener was a nighttime affair, given that it reached a steamy 88 degrees this afternoon. Turns out it was the team that asked for the 7:10 p.m. start.
“Two things led us to do it at night. One, it’s not a season opener and two, it was a Friday,” Marlins team President David Samson said. “I prefer home openers during the day, no question about it, but season openers.”
The crowd of 40,666 was treated to a festive atmosphere nonetheless, including recognition of Chris Coghlan and Hanley Ramirez for winning last year’s National League Rookie of the Year and Batting Champion awards respectively; Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Andre Dawson throwing out the first pitch; and Creed’s Scott Stapp singing the National Anthem.
Stapp, a Palm Beach County resident, recently forged a partnership with the Marlins that has the singer and the team helping each others' charitable foundations, Marlins Vice President of Marketing Sean Flynn said. Part of the partnership includes Stapp re-writing his song “You Will Soar” as “Marlins Will Soar” complete with lyrics about baseball and the line: “Come on Marlins, make us proud.” A video of Stapp singing the song interspersed with Marlins highlights helped kicked off the festivities.
If you didn’t catch it tonight, Flynn says it will be shown in the stadium as well as online. He says it will be used similar to the way the team uses rapper Pitbull’s “Marlins Time to Represent.” Watch that video below.
Samson said he met Stapp at an airport when their flight was delayed. They began talking and have since exchanged text messages. Stapp also sat in the Marlins' suite during the Super Bowl in February.
One thing that irked at least a few people today was the disappearance of the out-of-town scoreboard – or teal monster – in left field. Remember this (see photo from a few years ago)? That’s no more. No more lineups and out-of-town scores. Instead, there are giant ads for MLB Network, a picture of Billy the Marlin holding a baseball glove, and a sign for a “Hit Me, Win Me” sweepstakes for a Ford truck that a fan can win if a Marlin hits the sign.
The way the Marlins explain it, the sign was malfunctioning last year and stadium ownership decided it was too costly to maintain. The Marlins had the option to pay, but chose not to, Samson said, because fans nowadays are getting real-time scores and updates on their cell phones and pdas.
With the Marlins scheduled to be in their new ballpark in 2012, is it any wonder no one was willing to shell out the dough to fix the board?
The team doesn’t yet have a lease to play at Sun Life Stadium in 2011, but Samson said he expects that to be worked out within a few weeks.
The Marlins introduction cards on the scoreboard show each player in front of an image of the new ballpark. Both Samson and team owner Jeffrey Loria said construction of the new venue in Little Havana is going well. Loria said he visits the site every month and a half or so. “It’s going to be the crown jewel of South Florida when we’re done,” Loria said.
Samson said while the team is entertaining calls from companies interested in purchasing the naming rights, other sponsorship opportunities and suites at the new ballpark, a new sales center for premium seating is expected to open at the ballpark site by late May. He said the team hopes to have a naming rights partner by next April at the latest.
In honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart and Boca Raton-based Office Depot are “Growing Greener” this weekend.
To promote its efforts to sell eco-friendly items and ship in an environmentally friendly manner, Office Depot has teamed with wind and solar power producer NextEra Energy Resource’s EarthEra program.
Stewart will drive his No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet with a special “Grow Greener” paint scheme in Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Subway Fresh Fit 600 at Phoenix International Raceway. The paint scheme (see photo courtesy of Action Sports Photography) will feature Office Depot and EarthEra logos along with the “Greener Shipping” message. The office products supplier encourages consumers to be more “green” in the way they purchase and ship items by placing larger orders and reducing the number of deliveries.
Meanwhile, Office Depot is balancing the carbon footprint of the race by buying EarthEra “Green-e Certified Products,” which refers to the independent certification and verification program for renewal energy and greenhouse gas emission reductions.
Learn more about Office Depot’s “Grow Greener” program here and watch the wrapping of Stewart’s car with the special logos below:
+ Super Bowl XLIV wasn’t just a huge event for TV, it – along with the Pro Bowl – helped Sun Life Financial score from its brand new naming rights deal with the Miami Dolphins’ home stadium, according to Joyce Julius, which measures sponsor exposure. The Michigan firm says the two games helped the Toronto-based financial services and insurance company, which signed the naming rights deal Jan. 20, realize more than $27 million in exposure in TV broadcasts and media coverage. CBS’ telecast of the Super Bowl was responsible for 36 percent of Sun Life’s exposure with ESPN’s Pro Bowl broadcast adding another 5 percent. Combined, Joyce Julius reported, the Sun Life logo got 17 minutes and three seconds of airtime and was mentioned 25 times. The company measured the exposure against what advertising during the broadcasts would cost and added in exposure from other media coverage.
+ Saints QB and Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees already went to Disney World for the post-championship ad and was part of the parade in New Orleans last night that some estimates say attracted as many as 800,000 people. His marketability should skyrocket, experts say. In his Super Bowl XLIV Sports Marketers’ Scouting Report, Bob Dorfman of Baker Street Advertising, wrote before Sunday’s game that Brees “has the most marketing potential of any Super Bowl XLIV player, and a win in Miami could vault him into the upper echelon of athlete endorsers.” Dorfman placed only Colts QB Peyton Manning higher on his endorsement list, but said this about Brees: “articulate, comfortable on camera, a genuinely nice guy, better looking than Peyton, and his cheek birthmark adds a distinctive touch.” Brees, the father of a toddler, is already starring in an online ad for Pampers, so Dorfman believes he’s a good bet for Gerber or Fisher-Price. He’s also in the running for the cover of Madden NFL 11. Since Brees is already known as "Breesus" around NOLA, Dorfman suggests “a Bank of America ad headline ‘Breesus Saves.’”
+ The Super Saturday Night concert on Fort Lauderdale Beach was so successful that some wonder whether the city’s lifting of its ban on open containers just for the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl should be extended. Watch my colleague Brittany Wallman’s video montage from the concert here.
Recent visitors to South Florida arriving at Miami International Airport have been greeted by larger than life posters featuring NFL Players sharing tidbits about their lives off the field.
The banners, which cover the columns at baggage claim include Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen sharing this wisdom: “The mullet isn’t just a hairdo, it’s a lifestyle.” And New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper saying “I’m a jokester. I like to keep people laughing.”
The idea is to show players out of uniform, living every day lives. The banners, which went up on Jan. 15 in time for last Sunday's Pro Bowl and this Sunday's Super Bowl, will be up through Feb. 15. They are part of a multi-platform campaign in collaboration with mobile marketing company, Mogreet Inc., to show the players as more than their jobs on the field or as the campaign states “as normal guys with a great job.”
Other players featured include New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk. Visit nflplayers.com/real to learn more about the players, watch videos, check out photos and even email player postcards to friends.
Fans who text “NFLPA” to 21534 will get a video sent to their phones and an entry to win a trip to the 2010 NFL Players Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles. You can also enter the sweepstakes here. Those who enter the sweepstakes can also receive a gift from the Players Association.
+ There are plenty of opinions on which teams in Super Bowl XLIV would be better for South Florida’s economy and those differ from which would be better television matchups.
As unseemly as it sounds, lots of hotel and tourism officials have been happy to talk about the New York Jets being the best team for local businesses because of the influx of well-heeled fans, who will be happy to plunk down lots of cash if their team makes it. There are concerns the Indianapolis Colts aren’t good for business because they were just here in the game in 2007.
CNBC Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell explains why CBS would prefer the Jets not make the Super Bowl here.
Some just want the Minnesota Vikings in because of superstar quarterback Brett Favre.
“I think the best thing that could happen would be Brett Favre,” Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau President Nicki Grossman told me.
But it just so happened Grossman was spending the weekend in New York, to make the bureau’s winter tourism pitch in one of its favorite target markets. It’s been chilly in New York, where the bureau has ads on 250 taxicabs and is making the rounds of TV shows to promote South Florida.
“Timing is everything,” Grossman said. “It turned out to be fortuitous on the Super Bowl.”
The bureau is running TV ads during both the AFC and NFC championship games today.
+ Meanwhile, CEOs of the official airlines of the Colts and Jets have placed a wager on today’s AFC Championship game. AirTran Airways (Colts) CEO Bob Fornaro has wagered a steak lunch from Indianapolis steakhouse St. Elmo’s if the Jets win, while JetBlue Airways (Jets)
CEO Dave Barger has promised a pit barbecue lunch from New York’s Blue Smoke restaurant if the Colts win.
“With the Colts being such a great team and the game being at home, it’s only fair that I put up a steak against a pulled pork platter,” Fornaro said in a statement. “Seriously, does anyone think the Jets can really stop Peyton Manning and the rest of the team on the fastest turf in the league?”
Barger said “I like my steak medium rare and make sure there are plenty of fries to go with it.”
+ If you just look at merchandise sales, the Jets rank third among the four teams playing today in gear sold this month compared with a year ago, according to figures from NFLShop.com. Those figures show sales of New Orleans Saints gear are up 650 percent from last January, Vikings up 533 percent, Jets up 252 percent and the Colts up 189 percent.
From April through Jan. 18, however, the Pittsburgh Steelers were the top selling team in the league followed by the Dallas Cowboys, and then the Vikings. The Saints ranked 6th, Colts 7th and Jets 11th. And the Vikings had two of the top four selling jerseys during the same period – Favre at No. 1 and Adrian Peterson at 4. Colts QB Peyton Manning’s was second, followed by Saints QB Drew Brees at third. New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez’s ranked eighth.
+ Is it me or has the number of Pro Bowl and Super Bowl billboards in South Florida quadrupled in the past week?
Houston Texans and former Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Andre Johnson isn’t known for his sparkling personality. He even pokes fun at his lack of loquaciousness in a 2007 ad for the NFL’s fantasy football game – saying “Actions speak louder than words, so I don’t do a lot of talking…”
But some wonder why the star player, who is among the NFL’s top receivers and whose Texans face the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Land Shark Stadium, hasn’t gotten the attention of advertisers. In his only ad thus far – a Dick’s Sporting Goods spot that broke this fall – Johnson’s a tad stiff and looks like he’s reading cue cards, but the spot is well-done and amusing. He’s showing off Nike vapor trail gloves and how they can help you catch anything. “It’s ridiculous,” he says with a grin. See the spot below.
“It was my first time doing something like that so I didn’t really know how to go about doing it. The guy who was directing everything did a great job with helping me and telling me how to say things, the expressions and things like that,” Johnson told reporters Wednesday. “It was actually a lot of fun when I got the hang of it, my lines memorized and everything.”
Johnson said he hopes his star turn will lead to more deals.
“Hopefully that commercial has opened up something for me,” he said.
The latest installment in T-Mobile’s advertising campaign featuring Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade and Charles Barkley breaks tonight during TNT’s T-Mobile (natch) Halftime show during the Heat-Orlando Magic game.
This one focuses on T-Mobile’s myTouch 3G – well, Wade’s anyway. And there’s still plenty of playful repartee between Wade and Barkley. Watch the video below.
Another T-Mobile ad featuring Barkley and Magic center Dwight Howard (who have both appeared in a previous T-Mobile ad with Wade) debuts on ABC during the Magic-Boston Celtics game on Christmas Day.
And if you can’t get enough Wade, No. 3 will be the first athlete featured in the new “Ustream All Access” online show this Saturday. Starting about 2:15 p.m., you can log on and watch Wade’s day as he begins his “3 Under the Tree,” charity efforts joining children for a holiday event. He’ll also show off his shoe collection during the day. Visit www.ustream.tv/dwyanewade to watch. Ustream All Access launched earlier this month with a visit with Will.i.am and another with Snoop Dogg.
Sorry for the delay in catching up on news since vacation, but well, it’s been another busy week. And in case you didn’t know, the Super Bowl will be here in 58 days… but who’s counting?
Some thoughts and links:
+ Starting with Super Bowl, CBS says it’s 90 percent sold out of advertising spots for the Feb. 7 big game and ads are hitting $3 million. More from the LA Times here.
+ Baseball teams switching to healthier food, care of the Wall Street Journalhere.
+ Olympic merchandise fun… got to read a story from the Vancouver Sun that starts: "Faster, stronger, higher — but not that high." Here.
+ Tiger and more Tiger: Plenty of fallout from the ongoing Woods crash/sexcapades story. Sponsors ponder their deals with the world infamous golfer. Gatorade says its decision to drop Gatorade Tiger unrelated to recent events.
+ Gotta love that sales of John Gribbin’s book Get a Grip on Physics, which was found in Woods’ wrecked car have skyrocketed. Here.
You can file this in the bulging "people with too much time on their hands" category, but there’s something catchy about Woods’ voicemail message Slow Jam Remix.
Bill Plaschke’s sportsman of the year award goes to “Sleaze.” Read his nicely-done column on the issue in the LA Times that includes gems like this: "Strong work, Sleaze. You made us forget about that awful beauty of baseball and focus on how the philandering third baseman got to second base. You made us ignore the sappy serenity of golf to watch the hound-dog champion play through his protesting wife to drive over water and into a tree."
Plaschke says our appetite for these kinds of stories seems insatiable, but the Poughkeepsie Journalreports on a Marist Pollthat says more people think Woods should deal with the events privately and most don’t think the news will impact decisions about buying Woods-endorsed products.
+ City of Miami delays issuing bonds for parking lots at Florida Marlins ballpark: Bloomberg and The Miami Herald fill you in on this one here and here.
+ And speaking of the Marlins, as we know, team President David Samson is a man of many talents. He’s added playwright to the list. Penning a one-act play that is included in this Sunday’s soldout Miami Stories show at the New Theatre in Coral Gables. Samson is also to act in his own play. Read more here.
And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter: @sarahtalalay
Knowing it was going to be a challenging year on the business side, the Miami Heat has made upgrades at AmericanAirlines Arena to increase sponsor and advertising opportunities. The team’s new MediaMesh – the giant LED marquee on the front of the arena – was unveiled in May. New high definition television screens and menu boards have been installed for this season.
In a meeting with reporters Tuesday, Heat owner Micky Arison said the innovations appear to have made a difference, although he can’t say for sure what’s helped drive sponsorship sales during the recession.
“On the cruise side, one of our brands recently did a consumer survey, trying to find out if people will buy vacations this year. The questions dealt with what will consumers cut back on next year, and sports was number one in the answer of cutting back. This is a national issue, probably a global issue,” said Arison, who is also chairman of Carnival Corp.
In the NBA, Arison said, “The league is dealing with significantly less ticket sales, but … sponsorship has held up better than I would have expected. We’re in a very tough market, because it’s very real estate and banking oriented. We’ve also had some sponsors like Stanford Financial, and others that have failed on us, so there’s no question this is going to be a tough year and a tough period, financially for the franchise. But I don’t think that’s unique to us. It’s a national and global problem.”
Stanford Financial had signage across the Heat’s VIP lobby entrance until earlier this year when R. Allen Stanford was charged with fraud. The signs were pulled from the lobby after the company missed a payment. Meanwhile, with law firm Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler now in turmoil since Scott Rothstein’s alleged involvement in what federal authorities are calling a massive fraud scheme, RRA advertisements are no longer appearing in the Heat’s game program.
But the team’s sponsors sales, including signing Assist-Card to the team’s first-ever presenting sponsorship this season, have been healthier than he anticipated.
“We’re in good shape with sponsorships, surprisingly good shape, but really struggling with ticket sales,” Arison said.
As for why sponsor sales have increased, Arison pointed to the new inventory such as the MediaMesh and speculated that some companies may be excited about the Heat’s young team.
“Because it’s such a banking, real estate oriented community, I thought it would be really murder. And last spring it looked that way,” Arison said. “As the summer progressed, it came around. Where we’re struggling is premium seating and ticket sales, which is really hard right now. People can watch it at home and consumers are very, very price conscious. It’s a unique product, you can sit at home and get it for free. You can’t do that with a cruise.”
JetBlue Airways has been snapping up sponsorships with sports teams across the country in the past 18 months, including the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels, Buffalo Bills, Texas Longhorns and New York Jets.
On Friday, the airline announced its first ever sponsorship with a hockey team and arena, becoming the official – and exclusive – airline partner of the Florida Panthers and BankAtlantic Center. Already, JetBlue’s signage is on the awnings over the arena’s doorways and dots the plaza in front of the building.
By January, a signature JetBlue tailfin is to be added to the plaza – the first ever installation for the airline. (See rendering above).
To honor the new multi-year partnership – and the addition of the airline’s 18th destination from Fort Lauderdale (starting Nov. 17 to San Francisco) – the airline is offering 18 percent off on bookings made today for travel Dec. 2-16 made at www.jetblue.com/bac
Officials would not disclose the financial details, but a release about the deal says it will include joint marketing and advertising through 2011. It is expected to include special travel packages for Panthers fans to attend away games and for fans in cities JetBlue serves to visit South Florida and take in a Panthers home game.
Panthers President Michael Yormark announced the partnership Friday on the arena’s front plaza, which will know be known as the JetBlue Tarmac, saying “Today, the BankAtlantic Center gets more leg room. Today the Florida Panthers become true blue.”
Marty St. George, JetBlue senior vice president of marketing and commercial strategy, said the airline considered other sponsor opportunities in South Florida, but chose to partner with Sunrise Sports & Entertainment, the Panthers’ parent company and operator of BankAtlantic Center, because of the variety of events the company oversees.
“It’s not just a team,” St. George said. “The building has 200 plus events a year. Over 2 million people have come in every single year to various events. And I think that’s something we saw as a great kicker on top of it, which is not only do we get to work with a dynamic team that I think has got a great future, we also have the opportunity to get our name in front of customers that come here for all the different events … This is a dream opportunity.”
The announcement also included a concert by Cobra Starship, and was attended by JetBlue employees, as well as Panthers coach Pete DeBoer and team limited partners Cliff Viner and Stu Siegel.
Viner and Siegel are expected to buy a portion of majority owner Alan Cohen's stake in the team and be named co-general partners. Cohen will retain a stake in the team, but will no longer make team decisions. Viner and Siegel weren't talking Friday, but the restructured ownership situation is expected to be announced next week.
If you’re a sports fan in South Florida, chances are you’ve seen RRA’s logo. Or heard of one of the companies Scott Rothstein’s invested in. That’s because Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler has been rapidly racking up sports sponsorships and teaming with local athletes and their charitable organizations.
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Remember those billboards featuring Rothstein with Dan Marino, promoting RRA’s partnership with the Dan Marino Foundation? RRA served as a presenting sponsor of The Summer Groove, hosted by Alonzo Mourning and Dwyane Wade, held in July at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood.
Ten days ago –not long before it became public Rothstein was under investigation -- RRA was the sponsor of the Miami Dolphins 2009 Alumni Weekend. RRA sponsors the Heat and messages promoting the firm's connections with Marino’s and Mourning’s charities have flashed from the giant MediaMesh LED marquee on the front of AmericanAirlines Arena that overlooks Biscayne Boulevard. There’s even an RRA ad in the Miami Heat’s opening night program.
RRA has a sponsorship deal at BankAtlantic Center with the Florida Panthers. Three other companies in which Rothstein has an investment -- Bova, Renato and V Georgio Vodka -- also have sponsorship agreements with the team and arena. Bova sponsors the Panthers' Ice Dancers.
The Heat, Panthers and Dan Marino Foundation all declined to comment Tuesday. But don't be surprised if RRA's logo is no longer included as part of the Panthers' game presentation.
The Florida Marlins are the only one of the four major pro sports team in South Florida that doesn’t have any sort of partnership with RRA or Rothstein-connected company.
In January, attendees at a VIP party before the BCS National Championship Game received a football-shaped luggage tag featuring the BCS and RRA logos.
On Monday, Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown broadcast his weekly radio show, “The Ronnie Brown Show,’” on WQAM-560 AM from Bova Prime in Fort Lauderdale, just as he's done all season.
Last month, Rothstein announced the formation of RRA Sports & Entertainment, a division to handle marketing and endorsement deals for athletes. Its first clients are Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder and junior tennis player Sachia Vickery.
Rothstein is also a member of the corporate marketing committee of the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee, but so far has been missing in action, host committee chairman Rodney Barreto said Tuesday.
“I did have lunch with him to discuss the Super Bowl and if he wanted to get involved with us. He’s involved with a lot of great charities. He agreed,” said Barreto, who met with Rothstein a few months ago.
“He’s attended no meetings, participated with no referrals or anything to date. As far as I’m concerned, he hasn’t done anything with our committee yet. I wish he would have,” Barreto said adding he thought someone of Rothstein’s stature and connections could help the host committee.
“He was a force, don’t kid yourself,” Barreto said. “It was brought to my attention, why don’t we consider having him help open doors for us, to help find potential sponsors. It didn’t work out.”
Anyone else wonder what the “DOUBTERS” billboard on I-95 southbound just north of Miami was all about?
Clearly the idea was to catch your attention. A black billboard with just the word "DOUBTERS" in white and some birds perched atop it doing their business directly on the board. No word of whom or what had placed the ad.
As days went by successively more birds appeared atop the board and with them, more droppings. So that by this week, the droppings were covering the board, close to obliterating the "Doubters." And then a few days ago, the Miami Heat tag advertising 2009-10 tickets for sale appeared below the billboard.
Last season’s Heat ad campaign took aim at the doubters, too. Guard Dwyane Wade opened one of the team’s Something2prove ticket campaign ads by saying: “To the doubters…”
Soon the billboard message should change to this year’s tagline:
The moment of truth – about NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Tony Stewart’s love for Burger King’s Whopper sandwich – takes place at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Stewart has agreed to undergo an hour-long polygraph test with questions submitted by fans.
It’s all part of Miami-based Burger King’s “Tony Stewart School of Endorsements” ad campaign that launched in September and includes CHiPs star Erik Estrada hawking “Estrada” sunglasses and Carrot Top trying to sell a juicer. Stewart tells the class it should “only endorse things you believe in.” Thus the polygraph test, which can be seen at truthabouttony.com.
Meanwhile, Estrada’s sunglasses have become something of a novelty: 150 pairs are being auctioned on eBay with the proceeds going to Burger King’s Have It Your Way Foundation. Check them out at estradaglasses.com, but be forewarned, as the site says, they’re a novelty, not for actually seeing.
Last week, the NFL refs announced penalties in Spanish for the benefit of the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at the Miami Dolphins-New York Jets Monday Night Football game at Land Shark Stadium. The stadium took on a decidedly Latin flavor with a Calle Dolphins tailgating area; Gloria Estefan and Hank Williams Jr. singing a bilingual “Are you ready for some football?” in the MNF theme video; and Marc Anthony performing the national anthem.
Sports leagues certainly recognize the power of marketing to Hispanics. Today, the NBA announced its most comprehensive Hispanic marketing effort that encompasses all of its previous efforts, which have included Spanish-language radio broadcasts in 11 markets and Spanish language team Web sites, and new ones, including advertising, broadcasting and online components.
The league’s effort is called “éne•bé•a,” – or the Spanish pronunciation of ‘NBA,’ – and includes a dedicated Web site at www.nba.com/enebea, which currently features a story about the Miami Heat signing guard Carlos Arroyo (who is from Puerto Rico); advertising that features Heat guard Dwyane Wade along with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol on Spanish networks; and content on Spanish language social networking sites. There will also be special merchandise. NBA TV even broadcast the NBA Mexico game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns in Spanish on Sunday.
Already recognized for its efforts to reach fans globally, the NBA wants to make further inroads with its Hispanic fans, who make up 15 percent of the league’s fan base. Some 25 NBA players hail from Latin America and Spain.
NBA Commissioner David Stern said the number of Hispanics living in the U.S. is close to 50 million that will have a spending power in the next several of years of $1 trillion.
“We pride ourselves on our diversity and inclusiveness as a league,” Stern said. “We’ve slowly begun to diversify our efforts to speak to our Hispanic market.”
The Quad City Mallards of the IHL are promoting what they say is another professional hockey first: a logo in the ice in the goal. Not in front of the goal. Not near the goal. Actually in the goal.
It’s a logo for Hardee’s in honor of the quick service restaurant’s “Biscuit in the Basket” promotion, which will award select fans with free biscuits for Mallards’ goals. Fans in a randomly selected row of seats will receive a coupon good for a biscuit for each goal scored by the Mallards at home games at the i Wireless Center in Moline, Ill., this season. Fans in the entire section get free biscuits, if the Mallards score at least four goals.
Hardee’s will also sponsor giveaway items at several games. Mallards players will be visiting select Hardees beginning this morning to promote the partnership.
The Mallards, you may recall, are the team that when I wrote about the Panthers’ new “locker room” seats, which allow fans to get autograph sessions and email cards from a Panthers player, pointed out they let fans into the actual locker room up to 30 minutes before game time. The Mallards’ home opener is Oct. 24.
The 2009 Gators cereal, which hits stores across Florida today, features UF coach Urban Meyer holding up the 2008 National Championship trophy from his team’s victory in the BCS national championship game at Dolphin Stadium in January.
The box of frosted corn flakes is the sixth in the limited edition series produced in a partnership between Florida’s Dairy Farmers and Gator Sports Marketing, which handles UF’s sponsorship and advertising. The cereal is distributed by Deerfield Beach-based Triton Innovative Marketing. (UF is among a number of college and pro teams with special edition cereals. Read the piece I wrote about the program in December here).
As part of this year’s release, the Dairy Farmers have also launched a contest to win a refrigerator and a year’s a supply of milk. (That’s 52 coupons good for a gallon of milk each week, in case you were wondering). Entrants must be at least 18 and explain why they want a new fridge and milk. Enter the contest until Dec. 15 – one entry per person per day -- at Floridamilk.com.
More than 20,000 of the boxes go on sale today at Winn Dixie, Albertsons, Sweetbay and at Gatorzone.com.
Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley is among the NBA players adidas is featuring in its 2009-10 “It’s On Me for My Brotherhood” marketing campaign, which begins airing Thursday.
Beasley is appearing in print ads (see photo) and an online ad at adidasbasketball.com. In the ad, Beasley goes to pick out his shoes and invokes the names of other adidas athletes, including Kevin Garnett and Chauncey Billups. He then pulls on his pair of TS Commander LTs with “B. Easy” on them.
While spots featuring the adidas athletes individually appear on the company’s revamped Web site, a separate ad with several adidas athletes, including Garnett, Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose, will air on TV. Beasley does not appear in the group ad, but you can see his online ad here:
Tennessee Volunteers Coach Lane Kiffin thinks so. The Vols have purchased a billboard on I-95 at Oakland Park Boulevard heading into Fort Lauderdale for the school’s “It’s Time” message. The billboard is going up this week and will stay through Labor Day as the Volunteers look seek out deep high school football talent for their roster.
"We wanted to make an effort to extend our brand beyond the Tennessee geography," Chris Fuller, associate athletic director for sales and marketing, told the Palm Beach Post. "We obviously recognize the value of Florida as it relates to growing and building our program. We just wanted to let people know we're here."
The billboard includes photos of Kiffin and defensive back Eric Berry. The program has also reportedly bought billboards in Atlanta and Memphis.
Rutgers bought billboard ads in South Florida a few years ago.
Dozens of volunteers for the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee were getting ready for the 2010 Pro Bowl and Super Bowl this afternoon at Land Shark Stadium. They were auditioning to be in an ad campaign promoting the two big games South Florida will host Jan. 31 and Feb. 7, respectively.
Ronin Advertising of Coconut Grove took headshots of the aspiring actors and actresses and then asked them to say three lines with all the “passion for football” they could muster:
“Are you ready for some football?”
“Come on down and hang out for the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl.”
“Will you own the moment, or will the moment own you?”
“I feel like Hank Williams Jr. here,” said Laurie Steele, of West Palm Beach, as she prepared to say her lines.
Ronin was looking for volunteers to represent the NFL’s 32 teams in TV, print and outdoor advertising. They’ll don jerseys and other NFL gear, such as a cheesehead hat for the Green Bay Packers fan. The fans will also be wearing shorts and flip-flops -- since the big game is returning to South Florida for a record 10th time -- and the Pro Bowl will be played here, too, rather than in Hawaii.
“Our goal is to get a cross-section of fans,” said Kristen Mathieson, a senior account executive at Ronin.
The ads are scheduled to be shot Aug. 11 and 12 and begin airing around the start of the 2009 football season. In the meantime, here’s the ad Ronin shot featuring Don Shula to promote Super Bowl XLI in 2007 – the last time the game was here.
That didn’t take long. The Los Angeles Sparks and Farmers Insurance Group of Companies announced a multi-year partnership Friday that will put the insurance group’s name on the WNBA team’s jerseys.
The partnership comes just in time for the Sparks home opener against the Detroit Shock on Saturday. It also marks the second such announcement this week. The Phoenix Mercury announced Monday that it will be wearing identity theft protection company, LifeLock Inc., on its uniforms for three years under a deal said to be worth at least $1 million a year.
The Sparks’ deal with Farmers Insurance also includes signage in the Staples Center, and visibility with other Sparks’ events in the community.
The idea is apparently sweeping the WNBA. The Indiana Fever and Seattle Storm are also considering partnering with jersey sponsors.
The Marlins are giving “Dan Uggla head” banks to the first 5,000 kids attending Sunday’s game versus the San Francisco Giants at Land Shark Stadium.
Not a full body piggybank or even a bust. It’s a five-inch polyresin bank that resembles the second baseman’s head – complete with blue eyes and eye black. (Check out Sun Sentinel photographer Robert Duyos' photo of Uggla with his bank).
Outfielder Cody Ross got to smash one with a baseball bat during a promotional spot for the giveaway. He needed change for a soda.
“We had fun with it. We only did three or four takes, [but] I only got to smash the piggybank head once,” Ross said. “I thought I did a pretty good job with it.”
The Heat unveiled its MiamiMediaMesh LED marquee Wednesday night with great fanfare. The 3,400-square foot stainless steel mesh screen covers a dozen window panels on AmericanAirlines Arena’s west façade – so it’s hard to miss.
I described it in today’s story as being like a curtain, but it’s really more like a screen since it’s attached to the arena. (See photos by the Heat's Omar Vega). But at just ¾ inch thick and 70 percent transparent, it doesn’t block your view from inside the arena, and you almost don’t know it’s there, if it’s not turned on.
When it is on – arena officials plan a 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. schedule – it’s the size of 320 50-inch plasma TVs blasting game and concert footage, sponsor advertising messages and even the public’s Twitter and email messages. Send Tweets to @MiamiMediaMesh or emails to MiamiMediaMesh@heat.com for possible display.
“One of the things we’ve never had here is a true marquee and almost as soon as we opened we started talking about how we might really get one,” Heat President of Business Operations Eric Woolworth said. “We’ve been through many versions of what we thought might work or what’s been done elsewhere. Because of some of the limitations of our site, because we’ve got a rounded building, we wanted to do it right.”
A couple of Heat employees saw the technology at a trade show about three years ago. The Heat’s marquee is the first use of the technology developed by a German company and installed and operated by Boston-based A2aMEDIA on a sports arena in the United States. A2aMEDIA is talking with other sports venues, as well as hotels, office buildings, retail centers, casinos and other large-scale buildings that are seen by lots of people.
The Heat’s arena, for example, gets 1.4 million visitors at its events each year, 65,000 cars traveling by each day on Biscayne Boulevard and more than 3.8 million cruise passengers passing through the nearby Port of Miami.
Although the Heat isn’t saying how much the marquee cost, it does expect to cover its expenses from the advertising dollars. Already, American Airlines, Bacardi, the Miccosukee Resort & Gaming and Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler are among several advertisers already signed up to place their messages on the marquee.
Martha Pantin, an American Airlines spokeswoman, said the airline plans to put up shortened commercials and other messages.
“We think it gives us great visibility,” Pantin said. “For us AmericanAirlines Arena is one of our crown jewels and this makes the crown a little bit sparklier.”
While they play up opponents in order to boost ticket sales, the Marlins also try to have some fun at their opponents’ expense. For example, they’ve run ad campaigns that include putting salt in a Mets fan’s coffee cup or a fish in a Phillies fan's car.
And last season, the team launched its “Reason” in-game video series. It’s a series of video vignettes showing Marlins fans’ reasons for owning rival teams’ jerseys. Reason No. 21 to own a Mets jersey?: Doormat. Reason No. 77 for a Mets jersey?: Tissues. See video examples here.
Sean Flynn, Marlins vice president of marketing, says the feature has become so popular that fans have been submitting ideas. So the team has launched a “What’s Your Reason” video contest. Fans have until July 2 to submit their own video of up to 40 seconds, showing off their reason for owning a rival jersey and including a ticket sales pitch. The public will also get a chance to help choose the winning video when they are posted for an online vote July 13-28.
“We’re taking the in-game experience and giving folks an opportunity to participate,” Flynn said.
The grand prize winner, which will be announced Aug. 1, gets a package that includes a night at a Marlins game in a suite for up to 10 people and a Marlins jersey, natch, for the video creator.
Videos can be submitted online at marlins.com or by mail to “What’s Your Reason” Video Contest, Florida Marlins, 2267 Dan Marino Blvd., Miami, FL 33056. Find full contest rules here.
Flynn likens the idea to sports fans poking fun at each other at a bar.
“It’s all done with pride of the Marlins,” Flynn said. “It really stems from us trying to build up that loyalty and that association with South Florida’s home team.”
Founded in 2006 to serve as the business backbone for a wide range of fantasy sports Web sites, Fantasy Sports Ventures is continuing to expand its footprint. The New York company that handles the marketing and advertising sales for some 400 Web sites across sports announced this week it has added 35 independent college Web sites, including NoleInsider focusing on FSU, and The Bulls Pen, which covers USF.
FSV was formed early on in the growth of fantasy sports as a way to help sites – many of them niche – build their businesses through dynamic online advertising, contests and promotions.
“We started about three years ago when the notion of fantasy sports marketing was just evolving,” FSV CEO Chris Russo said. “We really pioneered the notion that marketers could do marketing programs online beyond banner advertising.”
That means content widgets and modules and a variety of programs that promote advertisers and sponsors across FSV’s network. With 400 sites in its network, FSV offers companies an attractive advertising opportunity. Because it can count traffic to all its affiliated sites – it owns about 25 percent of them and has affiliations with the rest – FSV is ranked fifth among online sports properties with more than 10 million unique visitors each month, according to Nielsen Online. (Yahoo! Sports is No. 1, followed by ESPN, CBSSports.com and Fox Sports).
Since fantasy sports boast some 27 million players in the U.S., leagues and other companies recognize the power of the industry as a business tool.
“By adding 400 sites together, you have enough scale. You really become relevant to advertisers,” Russo said. “Marketers want to be around passion points. People care about fantasy sports. That’s a hobby and an avidity. More and more money is going to continue to move from traditional media to new media.”
While FSV might not be recognizable to consumers – its Fantasy Players Network branding can be found on many of its affiliated sites – the company allows for smaller sites with avid fan bases to flourish because of the company’s business backing.
“We are providing, at the end of the day, a way for niche sites to grow and prosper and continue offering more and better content to their users,” Russo said. “We’re helping a whole cottage industry.”
Among the programs FSV created was a Gillette Young Guns fantasy game that allowed fans to pick winning drivers from among a group of drivers, including Gillette’s sponsored drivers. The game was on Gillette’s Web site, but was promoted and distributed across FSV’s affiliated sites. For college basketball, the company launched a site this year devoted to the NCAA Tournament that featured Bobby Knight and Billy Packer, who provided analysis, and was sponsored by Irish Spring.
Russo said the company plans to activate a number of its promotions around events throughout the year, including the upcoming NBA draft and the NFL season.
With sports teams, leagues and events beginning to understand their Latino fan bases better, Hispanic Market Weekly has added the sports business to its roster of weekly features.
“HispanicSportsBusiness” appears on Fridays in the Coral Gables-based online publication that covers Hispanic business trends, advertising and media. The section focuses on deals, marketing, and other efforts sports are using to reach the Hispanic market.
The section first launched April 3 and in its first two editions has included stories about a study NASCAR commissioned to learn more about its Latino fans; Mexican beer Tecate title sponsoring boxing on ESPN; and how the Houston Astros are catering to their Hispanic fans, who represent a variety of cultures and income levels.
The section, which also has included sports business news briefs on broadcast deals and coverage of the IMG World Congress of Sports conference in Miami earlier this month, aims to cover the dollars associated with soccer, football, baseball, basketball, auto racing and extreme sports.
“We’re about following the money, following the dollars,” said Adam Jacobson, HispanicSportsBusiness associate editor. “The Hispanic sports fan represents a huge part of the U.S. consumer base. Retailers understand this. Sports franchises are just beginning to understand this -- that the growth lies in the Hispanic fan base.”
Age-defying five-time Olympic swimmer Dara Torres is having a big week. Her book Age is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams At Any Stage In Your Life has just been published and today she debuts as “Dairy Torres” in a “Got Milk?” ad.
The 41-year-old Parkland mother is sporting one of those milk mustaches – she joins more than 250 athletes and celebrities who’ve worn it -- and praising the benefits of lowfat milk for women’s fitness.
“I’m a natural in water. But after a workout, my natural choice is milk. It’s a strong starting block for wellness,” her ad reads. “The protein helps build muscle, plus its nutrients help me refuel. Three glasses of lowfat or fat free milk a day. Lap it up.”
Researchers say milk helps repair muscles after workouts and improve bone density.
Read more about Torres’ campaign and see photos and video at whymilk.com.
Even with layoffs and fewer people in offices these days, NCAA Tournament bracket pools are thriving and the tournament is still a big draw online.
According to Fort Lauderdale-based CBSSports.com, which first launched its March Madness on Demand streaming video online in 2003, traffic was up 60 percent from 2008 during the first four days of the tournament. The company, which made the product free and advertising-supported in 2006 and registration-free last year, 5.6 million unique visitors logged into the video player and users have watched and listened to 6.5 million hours of video and audio – a 71 percent increase from 2008.
Even the “boss button,” which allows office workers to quickly call up a spreadsheet so their bosses don’t know they’re watching the tournament, was clicked 2.5 million times during the tournament's first four days -- that's the same number that clicked the boss button during the entire tournament last year.
The product, which now includes an HD version of the video player, is available across a variety of other Web sites, including YouTube, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, MySpace and Facebook. And advertisers continue to support it in large numbers. Ad revenues in 2006 were about $4 million and rose to $23 million in 2008. CBSSport.com expects those figures to rise more than 30 percent this year.
(1) Glazed vs. (9) Jelly
(2) Old Fashioned vs. (10) Coconut
(3) Boston Kreme vs. (11) Blueberry
(13) Strawberry Frosted vs. (5) Chocolate Glazed – Can “The Straw” stir C-Glaze’s drink?
Want to follow the Facebook discussion on this? Find it here.
Those of you who know me well, know I have a giant sweet tooth, but doughnuts just aren’t my thing. However, I’m still stunned that Jelly beat Powdered in the first round. Anyone else with me on this?
And finally, thanks to Toby Srebnik, who came up with Dunkin’s Sweet 16, for pointing me in the direction of another gustatory bracket at Washingtonian.com – this one pits burger joints.
Heat guard Dwyane Wade didn’t play Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics, because of a sore hip, but he’ll debut tonight in the NBA’s new playoff ads in the latest installment of the league’s “Where Amazing Happens” campaign.
Created by Goody Silverstein & Partners and NBA Entertainment, the series of ads ask: “Where Will Amazing Happen This Year?” and feature a number of players in remarkable moments in stark black and white footage. League broadcasters, ABC, ESPN and TNT, are all running the ads that began airing Sunday with ones featuring LeBron James and Joe Johnson.
Spots featuring Wade, James, Johnson, Paul Pierce, Manu Ginobili and other current players will run by the first round of the playoffs. Ads starring former stars, including Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, will air during the conference finals and Finals.
When the NHL owners were on the verge of locking out players in 2004, Panthers management didn’t want to be caught without a business plan.
Panthers President Michael Yormark worked proactively to position the team and BankAtlantic Center as more than just a hockey team and an arena. In 2005, the team’s owners and arena’s operators renamed their business units “Sunrise Sports & Entertainment” to reflect better their wide ranging company that includes the Incredible Ice practice facility in Coral Springs, which is completing an expansion; and a publications business that is revamping its Panthers Insider magazine.
“We decided strategically to position the BankAtlantic Center and the Florida Panthers as a year-round sports entertainment and media company as opposed to a seasonal sports company,” Yormark said. “Furthermore, we realized the importance of creating customized and integrated, partnership opportunities across all of our business units, in order to deliver measurable results and a return on investment for our participating partners and it grew from there.”
Last week, Sunrise Sports & Entertainment unveiled its latest venture: the Sunrise Sports & Entertainment Media Network. It’s a way to integrate and incorporate all its business units and media partners to sell advertisers, sponsors and corporations on a one-stop shopping approach to all their media needs.
What it means is SSE will work with companies that sponsor the team or arena to develop advertising, sponsorship and promotional programs across 15 different platforms all brought together under the SSE Network roof. That includes: the team; arena; game program; Panthers Insider magazine; Incredible Ice; TV broadcaster Fox Sports Florida; cable partner Comcast; radio broadcaster 790 the Ticket; outdoor marquees; the team’s YouTube channel; Facebook and MySpace pages; Twitter account and more. Read more about the social networking portion here.
“Tonight everyone in this room must face the built in challenge of these tough economic times, which is why now more than ever we must provide unique marketing and advertising opportunities that drive results for our partners,” Yormark said during the network’s unveiling last week in the arena’s Chairman’s Club.
“The timing is absolutely perfect, in a fragmented marketplace where more than just traditional media outlets are needed to significantly effect your business, we give you fully integrated sports and entertainment programming,” he continued. “Tonight we touch every available media channel through one portal.”
It remains to be seen whether the network will drive more partnerships and foster more comprehensive marketing and advertising relationships, but Yormark says the company is breaking new ground. Check out the presentation here:
Those public service announcements by local athletes in which they say they don’t chew, dip or smoke, are having an impact. So much so that Gov. Charlie Crist proclaimed this week “Tobacco Free Florida Week.”
In an unusual display of teamwork, eight pro and college teams around the state along with Fox Sports Florida and Sun Sports are continuing the anti-tobacco messages in force this week. The networks have taped more than 90 tobacco-free announcements with players and coaches. They’ll be played on scoreboards and during game telecasts.
Skeletons -- representing the nearly 29,000 Floridians who die each year from smoking, according to the Centers for Disease Control – will be dressed as sports fans and placed in the stands at participating arenas and stadiums (see photo of skeletons in UF and FSU gear). Street teams will promote anti-tobacco messages; smokifier vans, in which fans can see how they would age if they smoke, will be at the events.
"By combining efforts of professional and collegiate teams, local County Health Departments and other key tobacco prevention stakeholders, we can further extend the reach of the campaign's message," Kim Berfield, Florida Department of Health deputy secretary, said in a statement.
The festivities started Friday at the Orlando Magic-Detroit Pistons game and continued today at FSU’s basketball game against Clemson. Sunday afternoon’s Marlins-St. Louis Cardinals spring training game in Jupiter will also be a Tobacco Free Florida event. The rest of the week’s schedule: Monday night’s Heat-Cleveland Cavaliers game at AmericanAirlines Arena; Tuesday’s Tampa Bay Rays-Houston Astros spring trianing game; Thursday’s Panthers-Pittsburgh Penguins game at BankAtlantic Center; Friday’s Tampa Bay Lightning-St. Louis Blues game; and Saturday’s UF-University of Kentucky basketball game.
"Tobacco Free Florida Week presents a tremendous platform for us to utilize our unique media assets, along with those of our sports team partners across the state, in a concentrated, highly-visible way and encourage Floridians to pledge to be tobacco free," Fox Sports and Sun Sports Senior Vice President and General Manager Steve Liverani said in a statement.
Tobacco Free Florida Week is one part of this year’s campaign to promote anti-tobacco messages and help smokers quit. The campaign is funded by tobacco settlement dollars made available for anti-smoking programs when Floridians approved a constitutional amendment in 2006. Last year, $17 million was spent on the media campaign; the amount is up to $19.8 million this year.
The program directs smokers to the American Cancer Society’s Quitline for counseling and nicotine replacement patches, gum and lozenges. The message has been effective. Calls to the Quitline rose from about 4,000 in 2007 to about 45,000 last year.
The NBA may have banned Heat guard Dwyane Wade’s personalized adhesive bandages, but the fad is already under way. Lil Wayne wore one at Tuesday’s Heat-Detroit Pistons game; so did Burnie the Heat mascot. On Thursday night, even the TNT NBA analysts, including Charles Barkley, were wearing them. Of course, Wade was a guest analyst.
Wade shed his personalized bandage Friday night after the NBA told the team bandages must be worn only for healthcare reasons and can’t have names or promotional slogans on them. Ira Winderman explains the league’s edict here and The Hater weighs in on the controversy here. Incidentally, Jermaine O’Neal did get to wear his headband during Friday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks.
And fans can join the Band-Wade bandwagon on Saturday night. Heat staffers, AmericanAirlines employees, ticket takers and ushers will all be wearing decal versions of the Band-Wade, courtesy of Metro Signs Inc., which made Wade’s adhesive bandages, too. Read about Metro Signs’ involvement here.
The team will be selling special three-packs of the decals featuring Heat, Wade and 3 on them for $5 apiece at the Miami Hoops Gear store at the arena and online. A portion of the proceeds will go to Wade’s foundation. In addition, Saturday is jersey night, so fans wearing Heat jerseys to the game might be lucky enough to get a free decal if they’re spotted by the Heat’s Hoops Crew.
Citigroup’s $400 million naming rights deal for the new New York Mets ballpark has gotten the attention of members of Congress. After all, the banking giant is receiving $45 billion in federal bailout money through the government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). It agreed in 2006 to spend about $20 million a year for 20 years to name the new stadium.
Last week, U.S. Reps. Dennis Kucinich, Democrat of Ohio, and Ted Poe, Republican of Texas, asked Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to push Citi to drop the deal. “Citigroup is now dependent on the support of the federal government for its survival as an institution,” the representatives’ letter said. “As such, we do not believe Citigroup ought to spend $400 million to name a stadium at the same time that they accept over $350 billion in taxpayer support and guarantees.”
When word surfaced the company might be looking for a way out of the giant stadium name deal, it reiterated Tuesday that it is committed to the legally binding deal and that no TARP money would be used on the Citi Field agreement.
But the question remains: should companies that receive federal bailouts be putting big money into these types of naming rights deals?
The question arose after Sept. 11, 2001, when the airline industry was laying off workers and seeking federal help, and yet several stadiums and arenas, including AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, bore the names of air carriers.
The conventional wisdom from the business community tends to be that in difficult times, companies should be spending a portion of their budgets on advertising, since that’s when they need it most.
Do you agree?
New Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross completed a deal valued at $1.1 billion to buy the team and Dolphin Stadium last week, even as he has joined a group of real estate developers asking for federal assistance in the struggling economy.
According to Richard Sandomir’s column in today’s New York Times, several financial institutions with their names atop sports venues are receiving TARP dollars. Among them: Bank of America, which pays $7 million annually for its name on the Carolina Panthers football stadium is receiving $45 billion; JP Morgan Chase, which pays $2.2 million a year to name the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field is receiving $25 billion; PNC Financial, which pays $1.5 million a year for the Pittsburgh Pirates PNC Park name is getting $7.6 billion.
Sandomir’s column quotes a Treasury official saying the department did not have the authority to command a bank to discontinue a naming rights deal. But Kucinich told Sandomir that TARP allows “broad changes.”
Just as broadcasters and columnists have been bashing tonight’s Arizona Cardinals-Pittsburgh Steelers matchup in Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, veteran sports marketing expert Bob Dorfman isn’t seeing a lot of Madison Avenue power in the players either.
In his annual Super Bowl Sports Marketers’ Scouting Report, Dorfman, who is executive vice president at San Francisco’s Baker Street Advertising, puts only Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger in the “touchdown” category of marketability.
“Though he lacks Peyton Manning’s charm and Tom Brady’s glam, Big Ben has a rugged, blue-collar appeal that matches well with any product that gets a tough job done without a lot of flash or hoopla—like power tools, trucks, deodorants, or cold and flu remedies,” Dorfman wrote.
Excedrin or Advil since he recently suffered a concussion, Dorfman suggests.
“And though a “Roethlis-burger” has been served in various Pittsburgh area joints, it may be time to take it national via McDonald’s or Burger King. In just his fifth year in the NFL, there’s no ceiling on Big Ben’s football—and marketing—future,” Dorfman said.
He gives “field goal” status to Cardinals QB quarterback Kurt Warner; Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
“Warner’s rags-to-riches story—from supermarket to Super Bowl—would make a fine biopic, his large family would fit well in a minivan campaign, and his good looks could work handsomely for any men’s grooming product,” Dorfman wrote. “At 37, he may not be the best choice to appeal to the coveted “male 18-34” demographic, but for more mature audiences, Warner could be an effective pitchman—especially if he can lead his Cardinals to an upset win on Super Sunday.”
If you’ve been following the pre-Super Bowl advertising hype, you already know that Polamalu is featured in a Coke Zero remake – of sorts – of Coke’s famous Mean Joe Greene spot to air during the big game. Yes, the spot was made long before it was known Polamalu would be playing in the game.
“Intense on the field, soft-spoken off, Troy’s trademark flowing locks belong in a Pert shampoo ad. And the way he flies all over the field could qualify him for an American Airlines commercial, or a Dodge “Ram Tough” truck ad,” Dorfman said.
And then he asks, “And wouldn’t you love to see Polamalu and Larry Fitzgerald together in an ad, getting hairstyle makeovers from Paul Mitchell?”
More hair spots for Fitzgerald, Dorfman says. “Fitzgerald’s signature dreads could make a compelling hair care demo, his great smile could sell Crest toothpaste, and his good hands could score big for Allstate. T-Mobile might even consider replacing Charles Barkley with Fitzgerald in their “Fave 5” campaign. How about a spot with T.O. trying to make it onto Larry’s shortlist?”
FedEx isn’t advertising during Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday, but the express shipping company got nearly four hours of television exposure during this month’s FedEx-sponsored Orange Bowl and BCS national championship games at Dolphin Stadium.
That’s exposure valued at $383 million measured against television ad rates during the games – with the value during the BCS game being higher than the Orange Bowl game, naturally. According to Joyce Julius, which measures sponsor exposure, that value was calculated this way: $256 million from the BCS game in which Florida beat Oklahoma, and $126.8 million from the Orange Bowl game in which Virginia Tech beat Cincinnati. Joyce Julius reported FedEx got 51 mentions and an hour and 59 minutes of screen time during the BCS game and 59 mentions and an hour and 56 minutes during the Orange Bowl game.
Two other BCS bowl game sponsors scored higher values than FedEx did for the Orange Bowl game during their traditional bowl games this year. Tostitos received 43 mentions and an hour and 58 minutes of screen time during the Fiesta Bowl for a value of $138 million; Allstate received 45 mentions and an hour and 51 minutes during the Sugar Bowl for a value of $131 million. Citi, meanwhile, got 25 mentions and an hour and 21 minutes airtime during the Rose Bowl for a value of $111.4 million, Joyce Julius reported.
The Michigan firm's research shows other companies that received significant exposure time during the BCS game included Nike with a value of $61 million and Southwest Airlines with a value of $31.3 million.
Heat guard Dwyane Wade made Charles Barkley’s “Fave 5” and their pairing in T Mobile’s humorous ads landed them in Time magazine’s “Top 10 TV ads of 2008.”
But now, according to Advertising Age, T Mobile is pulling the plug on the ads after Barkley’s drunk driving arrest on New Year’s Eve. Barkley, an NBA analyst with TNT Sports, has agreed to take a leave of absence from the network. A T Mobile spokesman told Ad Age the spots featuring Barkely would be replaced with general ads.
Wade told our Heat beat writer Ira Winderman that the latest in the series of ads had already been shot and was slated to break during NBA All-Star Weekend in mid-February.
AmericanAirlines Arena is getting a new look: a giant digital marquee that will front Biscayne Boulevard and be able to broadcast advertising, announcements and video footage.
The Heat is to be the first U.S. sports team to incorporate the MediaMesh technology that is being used at spots in Europe.
The Heat and A2aMedia announced plans for the digital LED screen today and work to install it will begin immediately. The 3,400-square foot screen will cover a dozen window panels on the front of the arena. But the material, which is woven stainless steel mesh that contains linear tubes filled with LED nodes, is up to 70 percent transparent so it will not obstruct views both in and out of the arena. The screen is expected to be operational in March or April.
The screen, called a “Spectacular,” will allow the Heat to showcase upcoming events, sponsor advertising, and even video of Heat games. It will also give the team and arena another source of revenue.
“The new LED Spectacular will provide the official sponsors of the Miami Heat, AmericanAirlines Arena and the events taking place at the arena with an innovative sponsorship platform, and serve as a way to establish a more interactive relationship between the arena and the people and tourists of South Florida," Eric Woolworth, Heat president of business operations, said in a statement. "Most importantly, this installation will solidify the AmericanAirlines Arena as a trendsetting landmark and reinforce its importance in South Florida history.”
After 12 straight years of advertising during the Super Bowl – and a presence in 18 Super Bowls since 1989 – FedEx is bowing out of the 2009 game. At an average price of $3 million for a 30-second spot, lots of companies are making difficult choices about television’s most expensive advertising. Read FedEx Director of Advertising Steve Pacheco’s reasoning here.
But FedEx is likely to get plenty of exposure during the next week, with its name attached to the 75th annual Orange Bowl game tomorrow night and the BCS National Championship game a week later on Jan. 8.
When the BCS added a fifth bowl game to the mix three years ago, not only did the national championship host location get an extra bowl game, the title sponsors did, too. The eight-figure four-year agreement with Fox to broadcast the BCS games includes a number of ads for the title sponsors during the games and promotion during other Fox broadcasts and in print and radio advertising. FedEx is also the “official overnight delivery service of the BCS.”
Eric Wright, vice president of research and development for Joyce Julius, which measures sponsor exposure, says the title sponsor earns more mentions during the non-championship bowl game, but the value from the national championship game is higher.
“It looks like the sponsor grabs slightly more onscreen time and mentions in their traditional bowl than the championship game, but the ad rates being what they are [in the national championship game] were higher,” Wright said.
For example, Allstate received 61 mentions and two hours and 42 minutes of screen time during this year’s Allstate Sugar Bowl for a total value of $172.4 million, when measured against ad rates during the game. The insurance company got just 50 mentions and one hour and 53 minutes of screen time during the BCS National Championship game, but that time was valued at $231.1 million, Joyce Julius reported.
By contrast, the title sponsors FedEx for the Orange and Tostitos for the Fiesta and presenting sponsor Citi for the Rose Bowl, received less value from their exposure, even if there were more mentions or screen time. Joyce Julius figures show FedEx received 48 mentions and an hour and 49 minutes of screen time for a value of $117.3 million. Tostitos got 61 mentions and two hours and 12 minutes of screen time for a value of $142.3 million. And Citi got 29 mentions and an hour and 42 minutes of airtime for a value of $107.4 million.
The trend was similar in 2007, the first year the fifth game was added to the BCS rotation. Tostitos got 86 mentions and two hours 10 minutes of airtime for a value of $101.2 million for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. For the BCS National Championship game, the company got 36 mentions and an hour and 50 minutes of airtime for a value of $175.3 million.
Meanwhile, Fedex received 66 mentions and one hour and 55 minutes of airtime for a value of $88.6 million; Allstate received 56 mentions, an hour and 58 minutes of screen time for a value of $89.6 million; and Citi got 26 mentions and just 16 minutes of air time for a value of $26.6 million from the Rose Bowl.
The NBA must be in a giving mood. In addition to a record five nationally televised games on Christmas Day, there will be plenty of extras surrounding the games.
The league is introducing a series of new comical ads in its popular “Where Amazing Happens” campaign. These ads feature the “Amazing Tour Bus” – a mini double-decker bus complete with an open roof filled with fans on a tour of some insider NBA moments: on the practice court with Greg Oden, during a game with Pau Gasol, and in the locker room with LeBron James.
The spots were directed by Randy Krallman of the talking baby E*Trade commercials and feature character actor Joey Slotnick, who has been on Boston Public, Boston Legal and Family Guy. Check out Oden’s spot here and behind the scenes filming from James’ ad, where we see him sing to Cyndi Lauper’s "Time After Time." The league is launching nba.com/tour with extra features such as James’ favorite songs, which will be available on iTunes.
Meanwhile, if you have extra holiday cash or didn’t get enough gifts, the league is offering fans a chance to bid on the jerseys players wear during the Christmas Day games. There will be a total of 120 jerseys, each featuring a Christmas Day patch – with snowflake and NBA logo – and a tag to mark the event. Interested fans can bid at NBA.com at the tipoff of each game. These are the matchups:
New Orleans v. Orlando (noon, ESPN)
San Antonio v. Phoenix (2:30 p.m., ABC)
Boston v. Los Angeles (5 p.m., ABC)
Washington v. Cleveland (8 p.m., TNT)
Dallas v. Portland (10:30 p.m., TNT)
Heat guard Dwyane Wade finally made Charles Barkley’s "Fave 5" this year.
Now the duo has made Time magazine’s “Top 10 TV ads of 2008.” In fact, T Mobile’s NBA ads are No. 1 on the list of TV ads in the magazine’s “Top 10 Everything of 2008.”
Turns out that rapid Super Bowl ad buying recorded in September has slowed down significantly. NBC says it has eight 30-second spots still available during Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa on Feb. 1.
NBC, broadcaster of the 2009 game, says about 59 spots during the game have been spoken for and are running about $3 million each. That’s up from about $2.7 million last year. But the company also told the Associated Press it is negotiations for the remaining spots.
Regular Super Bowl advertiser General Motors announced in September it would skip the Super Bowl. FedEx Corp., Garmin Ltd. And Salesgenie.com are also not buying ads this time.
Monster Worldwide, however, which hasn’t bought an ad since the 2004, game will be back and competing with ads from CareerBuilder.com. Probably not a bad spend, given how many people have lost their jobs and are looking for work.
Jimmie Johnson just made history, becoming only the second driver in NASCAR history to win back-to-back-to-back Sprint Cup championship titles. He’s well-spoken, clean-cut and has one of the sport’s biggest corporations – Lowe’s -- supporting him.
So will he finally break through and become more marketable than his fellow drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and even Carl Edwards, his runner-up for this year’s championship? Not likely, experts say.
Oh sure, he’s marketable. He even shot a commercial last week before the Ford 400 Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. But he doesn’t have that certain something.
“Call him the Roger Federer of NASCAR,” said Bob Dorfman, executive creative director at Baker Street Partners and author of The Sports Marketers’ Scouting Report. “Maybe Johnson is too cool and laid back on camera to the point of seeming a little stiff and aloof, and a question mark as a compelling pitchman. Given the state of the current economy, and the tight purse strings of marketers, it’s doubtful that Johnson’s third straight NASCAR championship will lead to new major endorsement deals.”
Dorfman predicts Johnson will make the rounds of talk shows and speaking engagements.
According to Millsport Motorsports’ Davie Brown Index, which uses consumer research to measure the attributes of athletes and celebrities, Earnhardt tops the list of NASCAR drivers among both avid NASCAR fans and the general population. Gordon and Stewart also beat out Johnson.
“He’s dry,” said Joe Castello, who hosts radio shows about auto racing on both 790 The Ticket and Sirius XM. “His style was to be the polished marketable guy, the polished pristine vanilla guy that’s corporate and that got him to where he is. But fans don’t like that. Fans don’t like the vanilla guy. Fans like the Tony Stewart, fans like the guy who’s going to do something against the grain.”
But there’s no question Johnson is marketable, Castello said. “He doesn’t sell as many T-shirts as Earnhardt, as Stewart. “He’s a California kid, understated, that doesn’t make you want to run out and get his T-shirt. His fans are passionate.”
And if you win three consecutive championships, that’s got to mean something, Castello said. “You’ve got to respect that.”
Meanwhile, Lowe’s is offering a discount on Kobalt Tools in Johnson’s honor. Find the details on our Shop-O-Matic blog.
And don’t forget to check out my guest blogs at CNBC, here and here.
If you’re a Heat fan, you’ve no doubt seen or heard the new “Something2Prove” advertisements or glimpsed the billboards. They’re part of the team’s first “substantial” advertising spend since Shaquille O’Neal was traded to the Heat before the 2004 season.
Ad executives, fans and others I spoke with for today’s story about the campaign were impressed with the honesty of the message, that it didn’t hide from last year’s 15-67 debacle. Much of the marketing and advertising approach this year is to introduce fans to the team so they learn more about the players’ personalities.
The team has created a Something2Prove Web page with light videos of the players and a space for fans to share their love -- or even hate -- for the team.
But the question remains will all this effort lead to more ticket sales. Season ticket renewals dragged this offseason putting the team in the bottom third among the NBA’s 30 teams. The team is, however, in the top third in the league for new season ticket sales.
The team opened the 400 level at AmericanAirlines Arena for every game in the 2004-05 season – its first with O’Neal. The black curtains that covered the 400 level have not returned and they won’t this year either. You can buy season tickets in the 400 level for $10. New this year: individual game tickets for $10 in the 300 level and $5 tickets in the 400 level.
The team launched the advertising campaign because it has seats available in the lower bowl for the first time in years. You could see the pockets of empty seats – particularly in the lower bowl – for the first two home games of the 2008-09 season.
Empty seats are expected to be common this season. In fact, the crowd of 15,103 announced for the second home game this past Wednesday, was the team's smallest since the 2003-04 season when the curtains still covered the 400 level.
With his gold medal performance at the Beijing Olympics, renewed health and drive to make the Heat competitive again, Dwyane Wade made for a compelling player to feature in the NBA’s “Where Amazing Happens” ad campaign.
His personal journey to the NBA, to the Heat’s 2006 NBA championship and beyond are documented through photos – which he selected – in one of a new series of ads in the campaign that will air during the NBA season tip off on ESPN, TNT and NBA TV. You can watch the spot here.
The campaign, which launched last year, became so popular that NBA fans began making their own versions – including humorous ones – and posting them on YouTube.
This year, the Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki and Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard will also be featured in their own personal journey versions of the ad. Other ads in the campaign will be multi-player spots that include Chris Paul, Chris Bosh, Tayshaun Prince, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Steve Nash and Paul Pierce, among others.
T-Mobile and the NBA are announcing today a multi-year extension to their partnership that began in 2005.
The partnership includes the NBA, WNBA and now the NBA Development League. In addition, Heat guard Dwyane Wade and Charles Barkley will film new T-Mobile ads to add to the popular ad campaign that has previously shown Wade’s effort to be included in Barkley’s "Fave 5." Perhaps Wade is regretting being among Barkley’s "Fave 5," after Barkley took that as license to call Wade at all hours of the day and night.
No word yet on details of the campaign.
In addition to the ads, T-Mobile will continue and expand its platform of fan involvement programs that include NBA All-Star balloting, fan voting for top performers in the Finals, rookie of the month and other honors. There will also be in-arena signage and promotions.
This time Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade’s super hero Agent D3 is late for practice in the second installment of Jordan Brand’s “Dominate Another Day” ad campaign.
In addition to those five NBA games on Christmas Day, fans watching the games on ESPN and ABC will be treated to a couple of new T-Mobile ads featuring Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade and Charles Barkley.
Whether you’re live at AmericanAirlines Arena or watching Miami Heat games on TV, you’ve likely noticed the new courtside digital signage that changes frequently and can be altered during games.
Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh is racking up endorsement deals. He’s become the newest Brand Ambassador for Warren Henry Automobiles, joining Miami Dolphins wide receiver 
Beber Silverstein Group has used the iconic thought bubbles on its Coral Way office façade to promote its marketing and advertising business with a variety of messages that reflect current events, fund-raising for natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, holidays, and even its Twitter feed @thinkbsg.
South Florida’s most famous college football game has a new moniker: Discover Orange Bowl.
In what is thought to be the first marketing partnership of its kind, the Eagles rock band is 
Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh has hit the big-time: he’s featured in his own Got Milk? ad. 
Jockey International announced today that former Gator and current Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has signed on as the 
I'm guessing Tebow isn't likely to model -- or pitch -- his Jockeys in quite the same manner as Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer did in the late 1970s and early 1980s. 
+ And what’s not to love here – first round draft picks and Subway endorsers Ndamukong Suh and C.J. Spiller rendered entirely in sandwich fixings, including pepperoni, olives and cheese, by the folks at Subway. Read 
One thing that irked at least a few people today was the disappearance of the out-of-town scoreboard – or teal monster – in left field. Remember this (see photo from a few years ago)? That’s no more. No more lineups and out-of-town scores. Instead, there are giant ads for MLB Network, a picture of Billy the Marlin holding a baseball glove, and a sign for a “Hit Me, Win Me” sweepstakes for a Ford truck that a fan can win if a Marlin hits the sign. 
In honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart and Boca Raton-based Office Depot are “Growing Greener” this weekend.
Recent visitors to South Florida arriving at Miami International Airport have been greeted by larger than life posters featuring NFL Players sharing tidbits about their lives off the field. 
The latest installment in T-Mobile’s advertising campaign featuring Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade and Charles Barkley breaks tonight during TNT’s T-Mobile (natch) Halftime show during the Heat-Orlando Magic game.
JetBlue Airways has been snapping up sponsorships with sports teams across the country in the past 18 months, including the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels, Buffalo Bills, Texas Longhorns and New York Jets.
In January, attendees at a VIP party before the BCS National Championship Game received a football-shaped luggage tag featuring the BCS and RRA logos. 
The moment of truth – about NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Tony Stewart’s love for Burger King’s Whopper sandwich – takes place at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Stewart has agreed to undergo an hour-long polygraph test with questions submitted by fans. 
Last week, the NFL refs announced penalties in Spanish for the benefit of the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at the Miami Dolphins-New York Jets Monday Night Football game at Land Shark Stadium. The stadium took on a decidedly Latin flavor with a Calle Dolphins tailgating area; Gloria Estefan and Hank Williams Jr. singing a bilingual “Are you ready for some football?” in the MNF theme video; and Marc Anthony performing the national anthem.
The Quad City Mallards of the IHL are promoting what they say is another professional hockey first: a logo in the ice in the goal. Not in front of the goal. Not near the goal. Actually in the goal. 
The 2009 Gators cereal, which hits stores across Florida today, features UF coach Urban Meyer holding up the 2008 National Championship trophy from his team’s victory in the BCS national championship game at Dolphin Stadium in January.
Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley is among the NBA players adidas is featuring in its 2009-10 “It’s On Me for My Brotherhood” marketing campaign, which begins airing Thursday.
"We wanted to make an effort to extend our brand beyond the Tennessee geography," Chris Fuller, associate athletic director for sales and marketing, told the Palm Beach Post. "We obviously recognize the value of Florida as it relates to growing and building our program. We just wanted to let people know we're here."
That didn’t take long. The Los Angeles Sparks and Farmers Insurance Group of Companies announced a multi-year partnership Friday that will put the insurance group’s name on the WNBA team’s jerseys.
The Marlins are giving 
Outfielder Cody Ross got to smash one with a baseball bat during a promotional spot for the giveaway. He needed change for a soda. 
The Heat unveiled its MiamiMediaMesh LED marquee Wednesday night with great fanfare. The 3,400-square foot stainless steel mesh screen covers a dozen window panels on AmericanAirlines Arena’s west façade – so it’s hard to miss. 
Although the Heat isn’t saying how much the marquee cost, it does expect to cover its expenses from the advertising dollars. Already, American Airlines, Bacardi, the Miccosukee Resort & Gaming and Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler are among several advertisers already signed up to place their messages on the marquee. 
While they play up opponents in order to boost ticket sales, the Marlins also try to have some fun at their opponents’ expense. For example, they’ve run ad campaigns that include putting salt in a Mets fan’s coffee cup or a fish in a Phillies fan's car.
Age-defying five-time Olympic swimmer Dara Torres is having a big week. Her book Age is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams At Any Stage In Your Life has just been published and today she debuts as “Dairy Torres” in a 
Heat guard Dwyane Wade didn’t play Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics, because of a sore hip, but he’ll debut tonight in the NBA’s new playoff ads in the latest installment of the league’s “Where Amazing Happens” campaign.
Those public service announcements by local athletes in which they say they don’t chew, dip or smoke, are having an impact. So much so that Gov. Charlie Crist proclaimed this week “Tobacco Free Florida Week.”
The NBA may have banned Heat guard Dwyane Wade’s personalized adhesive bandages, but the fad is already under way. Lil Wayne wore one at Tuesday’s Heat-Detroit Pistons game; so did Burnie the Heat mascot. On Thursday night, even the TNT NBA analysts, including Charles Barkley, were wearing them. Of course, Wade was a guest analyst. 
AmericanAirlines Arena is getting a new look: a giant digital marquee that will front Biscayne Boulevard and be able to broadcast advertising, announcements and video footage.
The NBA must be in a giving mood. In addition to a record five nationally televised games on Christmas Day, there will be plenty of extras surrounding the games.
Jimmie Johnson just made history, becoming only the second driver in NASCAR history to win back-to-back-to-back Sprint Cup championship titles. He’s well-spoken, clean-cut and has one of the sport’s biggest corporations – Lowe’s -- supporting him. 
With his gold medal performance at the Beijing Olympics, renewed health and drive to make the Heat competitive again, Dwyane Wade made for a compelling player to feature in the NBA’s “Where Amazing Happens” ad campaign.
T-Mobile and the NBA are announcing today a multi-year extension to their partnership that began in 2005.