Category Archives: Professional Sports
Oh, What a Camera Would Do!
NASCAR has them in the drivers’ cockpits. MLB has them dug into the ground in front of home plate. The NFL has had them in players’ helmets. In sport, cameras give us a view we’d otherwise never see (unless on … Continue reading
Filed under Advertising, Creativity, Hype, Performance Enhancers, Professional Sports, Sharing, Sports, Visibility
Nike Everywhere
Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. Nike is both. Consider this past weekend’s bounty: Relentless ad rotations of the new Sparq (association in part with Velocity Sports Performance Centers) that create buzz without ever showing the gear. Prominent Nike swoosh … Continue reading
Filed under Brand Placement, Logos, Professional Sports
State Farm Drives the Lane
Watching ESPN Sports Center Sunday night I couldn’t help noticing the State Farm logo on nearly every basketball hoop NCAA and NBA. Bright red sign visible from the court-side cameras. Not to be outdone, Geico has bought similar locations, while Progressive is opting for scorer’s table signage. … Continue reading
Filed under Advertising, Professional Sports
Work is for People Who Don’t Golf
A New York Times clip today on golf is the most emailed (as of 10:30 a.m. PST). It points out the struggles of the business (in fairness, Callaway Golf had a record year in 2007). Factors contributing to slide in number of golfers? Rounds take 4 or … Continue reading
Filed under Awareness, Loyalty, Professional Sports, Specialized Segment
Oakley Goggles Survive Female Wrestlers!
Oakley, the premium athletic sunglass and eye protection brand, has rolled out print ads that stretch beyond tradition. This one features a goggle called the “Crowbar” and includes a wrestling scene with snowboarder Eero Ettala. Does it feel extreme to … Continue reading
Flaxseed Oil: The Movie
Word that HBO will do a movie based on the book, “Game of Shadows,” is timely. With Barry Bonds under federal indictment, a new final chapter must be written into the best-seller by San Francisco Chronicle staffers Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada (now of ESPN). The … Continue reading
Filed under Hype, Performance Enhancers, Professional Sports
Dick Pound and WADA
Dick Pound draws blood, ripping professional baseball on its drug testing program. Top section from tomorrow’s NYT from a story out of Madrid, where doping experts are meeting: After years of criticizing Major League Baseball for what he called useless, … Continue reading
Filed under Performance Enhancers, PR, Professional Sports
MLB : Messy Little Business
Bud Selig must want to spit. Once he opens his eyes, that is. After beaming at the World Series about how Major League Baseball had its best year at the gate, he now must go silent on the Barry Bonds … Continue reading
Filed under Performance Enhancers, PR, Professional Sports
Aspirational Marketing
The Open Championship at Carnoustie in Scotland looks nothing like the 1953 black-and-white version won by Ben Hogan. One of golf’s four majors, the tournament is a world-class exercise in product placement. And golfers love it. Golf is an aspirational … Continue reading
Filed under Brand Placement, Professional Sports
