Oscar Meyer Foods will be sponsor of Super Bowl XXX's
halftime show, the first time that company has advertised in a
Super Bowl game, according to the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL.
James Causey notes that Oscar Meyer will also sponsor the NFL
Experience during Super Bowl week.  Ad Age estimates the deal is
worth approximately $2.5M.  Oscar Meyer will run a 60-second spot
being produced by J. Walter Thompson, Chicago (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL
SENTINEL, 1/8).
     SUPER BOWL AD WATCH: All but a few of the 58 30-second units
available for NBC's Super Bowl XXX broadcast have been purchased.
USA TODAY reports each spot costs a record $1.2M, up from $1M
last year.  The companies and how many ads each has purchased:
ANHEUSER-BUSCH -- Four min. total; PLYMOUTH -- Three :30s during
1st quarter; FORD -- One :30; FRITO-LAY -- Two :30s during 1st
half; KINKO'S -- One :30 during 1st quarter; MASTERCARD -- Two
:30s during 2nd half; MASTER LOCK -- One :30 during 1st quarter;
MCDONALD'S -- One min. total; NATIONAL PORK PRODUCERS -- One :30
during 2nd quarter; NIKE -- Two :30s in 1st half, one :30 in 2nd
half; PIZZA HUT -- One :60 in first half; PRIMESTAR -- One :30 in
3rd quarter; SUBWAY -- One :30 in 3rd quarter; YAMAHA -- One :30
in 2nd quarter. NOTE:  Kinko's, Pizza Hut, Subway and Yamaha are
first-time Super Bowl advertisers.  OTHERS:
American Home Products, Johnson & Johnson, Principal Financial,
Quaker State, Toyota and Visa (USA TODAY, 1/8).
     HIGHLIGHTS: A-B will premiere a new "I love you, man" spot
featuring its "Johnny" character and Charlton Heston, as well as
Bud Bowl 8.  Deion Sanders is expected to star in at least one of
Pepsi's spots (USA TODAY, 1/8).
     FOR A SONG:  McDonald's, ESPN and several radio stations
will give away 15 pairs of Super Bowl tickets to fans who know
the "Big Mac Jingle" (USA TODAY, 1/10).

     Nike's Steve Miller, FAME's David Falk, the IOC's Michael
Payne and Reebok's Peter Moore are the sports marketing execs on
ADVERTISING AGE's "Power 50":
     IOC'S PAYNE:  Payne oversee's marketing and sponsorship for
the IOC, which funds 40% of the Olympics budget.  AD AGE notes
that "Payne's power" lies with his role in hearing  "sponsors'
concerns about making their investments pay off," and notes his
fight against ambush marketing.
     NIKE'S MILLER & REEBOK'S MOORE:  "In sports marketing, no
two companies are more linked with the commercialization of
sports" than these two, with each spending over $80M.
     FAME'S FALK:  Falk "is more than an agent.  He has built an
agency that specializes in not only representation but in the
marketing of athletes.  Few do it better."
     OTHERS RELATED TO SPORTS:  Adidas' Robert Louis-Dreyfus;
GM's Phil Guarascio, Gatorade's Don Uzzi; Disney's Michael Ovitz;
and A-B's Tony Ponturo (AD AGE, 1/8 issue).

     Miller's Plank Road Brewery has partnered with Penske
Racking South to field a Red Dog Ford 150 for 13 races on the '96
NASCAR SuperTruck schedule (Plank Road)....South FL's Lipton
tennis tournament is seeking more families to attend its '96
event, with a new $1M ad campaign by Crespin & Porter that will
"combine images of the Lipton's biggest stars with scenes of
tournament-goers having a great time" (MIAMI HERALD,
1/9)....Cobra Golf Inc. and ProGroup have entered into a long-
term licensing agreement (Cobra Golf).

     Air Canada, which may be the Raptors "most important
corporate sponsor," and title sponsor of the team's new arena,
will step aside for a team-preferred charter service for the rest
of the season.  Craig Daniels reports in this morning's TORONTO
SUN that the team abandoned the airline after it was "unable to
reliably deliver on its most basic service -- getting the NBA
team to and from its games in comfort and in timely fashion."
Daniels reports Air Canada will "step aside" in a split that is a
"mutual parting of the ways."  However, officials from both sides
stressed that the airline will remain a "major sponsor."  Players
have complained about late flights, bad food and poor service.
Daniels notes "the irony" of Air Canada being title sponsor and
partner in the new arena, but that they also painted one of its
aircraft in Raptors' colors (TORONTO SUN, 1/10).

     American Express put 5,000 tickets for Sunday's NFC
Championship for sale this morning -- but only for its gold or
platinum card members (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/10).... Green Bay
jerseys and Brett Favre merchandise are "disappearing" from
stores along MS's Gulf Coast -- from where Favre hails.  All
activewear and Favre jerseys are among the hot items (MILWAUKEE
JOURNAL SENTINEL, 1/9)....The recently-dispatched 49ers will keep
their "SF" logo on their helmets, but have new uniforms next
season in honor of their 50th anniversary.  The club will wear
white pants and feature the helmet logo on the tops (S.F.
CHRONICLE, 1/10).

     Reebok is looking for a Chief Marketing Officer, as the
company is "set to launch a pivotal ad campaign marking an
evolution of its 'Planet Reebok' theme," according to Jensen &
Sloan in the current ADVERTISING AGE.  The position will report
to President Robert Meers.  AD AGE notes shareholders are
pressuring Chair Paul Fireman to "spur profits and pump up" the
company's "sagging stock price."  Reebok would like to introduce
the new executive next month at the Super Show, according to
reports.  The new campaign, set to break in the next few weeks,
has received impressive reviews from retailers who have seen it
(ADVERTISING AGE, 1/8 issue).
     OFF THE WALL:  A city of Boston zoning official has refused
to allow Nike to paint a "mural" of Bruins star Cam Neely on the
side of a downtown building for January 19-20 NHL All-Star
weekend.  City inspectors say the work represents a commercial
activity.  Nike awaits a ruling by the zoning board of appeals.
If approved, Nike will go forward, even if the mural isn't done
by the All Star Game.  However, the BOSTON GLOBE's Joan Vennochi
notes "it's not exactly a secret" that Boston Mayor Tom Menino is
friends with Paul Fireman, leading "pro-Nike forces to speculate
that city officials are trying to kill the mural out of loyalty
to another sneaker brand" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/10).
     COMING OUT PARTY:  Nike's Canstar Sports will introduce its
first Nike skates during the All Star game in Boston.  Nike
endorsers Neely, Scott Stevens, Jeremy Roenick and Sergei Fedorov
have been breaking the skates in during practice.  All the skates
are black, according to reports, with a swoosh matching team
colors (FINANCIAL POST, 1/9).
     OTHER SHOE NEWS & NOTES:  NikeTown New York will be located
in a new eight-story building in midtown built by the company.
The store/museum will be located on 57th Street between 5th and
Madison Avenues (Portland OREGONIAN, 1/5)....Saturday's OREGONIAN
profiled Emmitt Smith's new Reebok ad that tackles Nike's
connection with Texas Stadium head-on.  One of Smith's lines in
the ad (as he overlooks the Cowboys' home turf): "This is my
ranch, no matter what brand is on the front gate" (OREGONIAN,
1/6)....While sales of athletic footwear declined by 1.88% during
the first eight months of '95, total dollars spent rose 2.4%.
The Athletic Footwear Association estimates that for the first
time in several years, consumers may be spending "slightly more"
on footwear (Athletic Footwear Association).