Phoenix Area Convention and Visitors Bureau officials say
"there should not be a vacant room" in the area during Super Bowl
weekend. In Las Vegas, officials say they typically fill 95% of
their rooms to gamblers wishing to bet and then watch the game
(Ken Western, ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/22)....BUSINESS WEEK notes AZ's
strategy to lure CEOs in town for the Super Bowl into relocating
to the state. Ronald Grover reports over 500 "decision makers"
have been targets to receive "special treatment" (BUSINESS WEEK,
1/29 issue)....Some AZ businesses are upset with the procedure to
become an official licensee of the league. Only six of the 80
merchandisers authorized to sell Super Bowl items come from AZ
(William Carlile, ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/21).
LOOKIN' OUT FOR HIS BOYS: Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones wants
an exemption from the state to allow his players to imbibe after
the 1am mandatory bar-closing time should they win the Super
Bowl. Local officials say only a legislative action will make
that happen (ARIZONA DAILY STAR, 1/21).... Also, the Dallas
Strategic Planning Committee has scheduled a parade for February
6, 7, or 8, while Dr Pepper has agreed to cover $180,000 of the
parade's cost in exchange for title sponsorship (FT. WORTH STAR-
TELEGRAM, 1/21).
ENDORSEMENT AND AD WATCH: Steelers QB Neil O'Donnell
rejected the suggestion of his agent, Leigh Steinberg, that he
shave his beard for Super Bowl week in order to be more
accessible to potential companies (USA TODAY, 1/22)....M&M/ Mars,
Mail Boxes Etc. and CNS -- makers of Breathe Right -- have
purchased the final Super Bowl spots from NBC, all during the 4th
quarter (USA TODAY, 1/22)....TIME's Steve Wulf writes Cowboys are
becoming "hard to stomach" off the field (TIME, 1/29
issue)....Dottie Enrico profiles different strategies Super Bowl
advertisers have taken in the past, including Nike's Stanley
Craver spots last year and Disney's "I'm going to Disneyland"
idea. ... Today's "Super Bowl Ad Watch" features Yamaha's new ad
for its Royal Star model. The 30-second spot will run in the
second quarter with the tagline "The cruising spirit lives" (USA
TODAY, 1/22).
