Reebok Int'l announced yesterday they will sponsor four
teams in the new women's American Basketball League. The ABL is
scheduled to begin play in October. Reebok will work with the
management of the Atlanta, San Jose, and Columbus, OH, franchises
in the design of team color schemes, logos, uniforms and other
official team apparel. The fourth Reebok team will be announced
at a later date. Reebok is also a league licensee and as such
has signed endorsement contracts with a number of players
committed to the ABL, including Jennifer Azzi, Saudia Roundtree,
Sheri Sam, and Shelley Sheetz. Reebok and the ABL will announce
plans for team nicknames, logos and local marketing plans later
this summer. In early July, Reebok will break a new women's
basketball TV spot featuring New York area high school players
(Reebok). The spot will air on ESPN and MTV, according to
ADVERTISING AGE. Reebok will also have regional radio
advertising and have placed print ads in the July issues of Self
and Women's Sport and Fitness magazines. Leo Burnett USA,
Chicago, handles. Two other companies, "presumably athletic shoe
marketers," have also signed on as sponsors for the ABL (AD AGE
ONLINE, 6/21).
