The competition between official sponsors of the Super Bowl
and their adversaries is "heating up."  In the snack food
category, Chi-Chi's intends to ambush Frito-Lay's sponsorship of
the halftime festivities at the Super Bowl, with the hopes of
rechanneling sales to its salsa products.  Kicking off on January
2 and continuing through Super Sunday, Chi-Chi's will begin a
heavy radio buy, highlighted by promos and a football trivia
contest during morning drive and other key listening periods.  So
far, air time has been locked up in 43 markets.  Frito-Lay has
not divulged its Super Bowl media strategies yet, but a
spokesperson said that the Chi-Chi's campaign is not a major
concern.  One radio rep expects that Chi-Chi's will be among the
few in the snack food category "that tighten the airwaves with a
Super Bowl promotion" (COWLES BUSINESS MEDIA, 12/15).

     After six months with no name, the Baltimore CFL franchise
is expected to pass on choosing a nickname, preferring to call
themselves the Baltimore Football Club (Baltimore SUN,
12/16)....A Video Storyboard Tests survey due out next week shows
Pepsi topping the list with America's favorite ad for the 3rd
quarter.  The other nine:  McDonald's, Little Caesars, Coca-Cola,
Bud Light, Nike, Miller Lite, Shell, Energizer and AT&T (USA
TODAY, 12/16).

     Phillies VP/Marketing Dennis Mannion commented on the
possible response of sponsors to the use of replacement players
next season: "It will definitely be a tougher sell until they
actually see the product on the field.  In our particular
circumstance, we're lucky that a majority of our sponsors have
been in our sponsorship family for years."  In an effort to
reduce the number of defectors, the Phillies have devised a
system to tie sponsorhip rates to the fan interest. If ratings
and crowds are high, rates will be, too.  But if replacement
players are met with low enthusiasm, "the Phillies will be giving
away advertising time" (Frank Fitzpatrick, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER,
12/16).

     SPORTS ILLUSTRATED yesterday announced a '95 advertising and
marketing program to coincide with the NCAA Men's Basketball
Tournament.  Advertisers who schedule a total of three insertions
in any one of six issues from March 13, 1995 to April 10, 1995,
will receive one free insertion in SI's Special Collector's
Edition -- or space of equal value -- and four guest spots at
SI's Final Four Weekend Package, which will include prime seats
to each semifinal and title game.  In another ad opportunity,
NCAA corporate sponsors will receive the free insertion, the
Final Four package, and special positioning in the magazine's
Final Four Viewer's Guide (Sports Illustrated).

     On PBS' "Nightly Business Report," Darren Gersh examined the
impact of the labor problems in baseball and hockey on
advertisers and merchandisers.  Joseph Foss, Orioles Vice Chair
of Finance, said that local advertisers are still signing up for
next year:  "But that's not saying that the strike doesn't linger
over every sale."  The NHL lockout, which could lead to a
cancellation of the season, is seriously affecting sales of NHL-
licensed merchandise.  According to sporting goods retailers,
sales of NHL merchandise is "far short of projections."  Ian
Gomar, VP of Marketing for Starter:  "There's a real concern
about retailers taking in hockey products for the fall of 1995 if
they're not convinced that the players are going to come back and
play."  Depite MLB's and NHL's woes, Gersh said that retailers
report sales of NBA and NFL merchandise have increased in "double
digit rates" and that baseball and hockey would have to get "much
worse before they do lasting damage to their businesses" ("NBR,"
12/15).  On ABC's "World News Tonight," Armen Keteyian looked at
how the MLB strike is affecting ticket sales and advertising for
'95-96.  Grey Advertising VP Jon Mandel:  "What they have done
now is shot themselves in the foot and caused advertisers to
really wonder if they should invest millions of dollars behind
this sport to market products" (ABC, 12/15).