BRANDWEEK's Terry Lefton looks at Congressional
hearings this week on the liquor industry's push into
broadcast advertising under the "doomsday scenario" that
beer advertising may also be banned from TV. Miller Brewing
Dir of Marketing Services Mike Hart "envisions" a beer
advertising ban may lead to reduced rights fees, higher
ticket prices and an economic incentive for pay-per-view.
But Lefton writes, "Across a wide swath of sports
marketers," there is a "unanimity of opinion" that beer is
not the "lifeblood" of sports. While the elimination of
beer money "might hurt local sports franchises and devastate
minor sports," the "consensus is that sports would not
collapse" and "new categories" would move in. Of major
properties, NASCAR is "seen as having the most at stake" if
beer ads were restricted. BBDO, NY, Senior VP Larry
Novenstern said, "The casualties will be in the secondary
and tertiary sports," including bowling, arena football,
indoor lacrosse and boxing (BRANDWEEK, 2/17 issue).
BRANDWEEK NEWS & NOTES: Starter will spend $5M in "kid-
targeted advertising" surrounding recently announced
initiatives with spokesperson Emmitt Smith....Pepsi and The
Golf Channel are joining on a sweepstakes and trade promo
aimed at "gaining additional pourage for the beverage
marketer and off-network exposure" for TGC. The media
element includes a $500,000 year-long media buy by Pepsi on
TGC. ...Quaker State will launch the first promo under its
NHL corporate sponsorship during the Stanley Cup playoffs,
teaming with Fox Sports for a "view-and-win contest" running
May through June (BRANDWEEK, 2/17 issue).
