Super Bowl MVP Larry Brown is a free-agent following his
performance on Sunday, and is the team's "hottest" new
endorsement star, according to this morning's CHICAGO TRIBUNE.
Brown will appear on tonight's "Late Show" with David Letterman
and "CBS This Morning" on Wednesday (Fred Mitchell, CHICAGO
TRIBUNE, 1/30). In New York, Mike Freeman calls Brown "the anti-
Deion ... conservative and well-liked by nearly everyone who
knows him" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/30). Brown is a Reebok endorser --
something the company boasted yesterday, along with the fact that
every touchdown scored in the game was made by Reebok players --
Smith, Novacek, Thigpen and Morris (Reebok). However, it was
Emmitt Smith, not Brown, who got the post-game "I'm going to
Disneyland" spot. In the past, Disney has highlighted the game's
MVP. Smith visited the park yesterday (USA TODAY, 1/30).
MORE AD REAX: Reaction to Sunday's Super Bowl advertising
continued yesterday and this morning. On CNBC, Jerry Cobb
reported analysts are predicting ad rates for next year's Super
Bowl could rise between 10% and 20%, "even though studies
continue to show that most viewers are away from their sets ...
during commercial breaks." David Blum, analyst at Eisner &
Assoc., said Breathe Right's ad may have scored highest because
of placement. Blum: "Because of where the spot ran in the game,
the most critical moment -- four minutes left, Pittsburgh down by
three points with the ball -- they really might see a huge
increase of sales at the cash register" (CNBC, 1/29)....USA
TODAY's Dottie Enrico, Melanie Wells and Bruce Horovitz picked
their winners and losers. Enrico noted that McDonald's "Swinging
Baby" spot rated high on their Ad Meter but missed out on major
publicity since it only aired during the pre- and post-game shows
(USA TODAY, 1/30)....Stuart Elliott notes the heavy use of animal
themes in Super Bowl advertising (N.Y. TIMES, 1/30)....NEWSDAY's
Harry Berowitz writes that Pepsi's Coke-driver ad helped the
company "shine" for the "second-year in a row" (NEWSDAY, 1/30).
NO NEW TRADITION: N.Y. DAILY NEWS reports that "Tonight
Show" host Jay Leno had been in "secret negotiations" with Super
Bowl sponsor UPS about having him dress up as a UPS employee,
drive a UPS truck onto the field before the game and deliver the
game ball. NFL executives reportedly blocked the promotion, as
they were "against starting a new and wacky tradition" (N.Y.
DAILY NEWS, 1/30).
