The NFL will support its "Play Football" kids marketing
initiative with an on-air Fox sweepstakes offering winners a
touch-football game in their hometown with two of the NFL's star
QBs, according to BRANDWEEK. Fox plans to air around 50 contest
promos soliciting applications during its weekday afternoon kids
block and Saturday morning kids programming starting in late
August. The NFL is also backing the "Play Football" initiative
with a $5M print/TV campaign, and retail and point-of-purchase
materials. The game will take place after the AFC and NFC
Championship games on January 12, and will be filmed by Fox and
used in pre-Super Bowl programming. The QBs will be selected
from "Play Football" spokespersons John Elway, Dan Marino and
Steve Young. Additional support will come from a month of spots
on the Fox's syndicated kids radio show, ads in Fox's "Totally
Kids" magazine, and the NFL's "Touchdown" insert in SI For Kids.
NFL Properties VP/Marketing Howard Handler: "We like it because
it takes the football message out of traditional sports
programming and puts it in the kids' own environment with our own
stars" (Terry Lefton, BRANDWEEK, 5/20 issue).
GETTING IN GEAR: NFL Properties has awarded Gilman Gear a
license to manufacture, distribute and sell field equipment with
NFL marks and named Gilman as an authorized supplier of field
equipment to the NFL. The deal includes kicking nets, weighted
end zone pylons, goal post pads and ball boy/chain crew vests
(NFL).
