The NFL and its marketing strategy are examined by John
Seabrook of THE NEW YORKER. The arrival of former MTV
President Sara Levinson to head NLFP in '94 "was something
of a cultural shift" for the "masculine place" of the league
office; one of her "biggest projects now is to get women to
become avid football fans." Levinson, on marketing the
game: "We have to be careful not to be MTV, because it would
turn off our viewers at the older end of the demo."
Levinson added that while "kids relate to rebelliousness,"
the NFL is "not a rebellious force." Levinson: "We need to
get into kids' skins before the rebelliousness starts to get
really loud." With licensing, NFLP VP Jim Connelly has
recently begun negotiating "partnerships with high-end
brands." Connelly: "Would we talk to Tommy Hilfiger? Yes.
We're planning on it. You see his nautical attire, or Ralph
Lauren's Polo line -- everybody is getting into sports to
sell their stuff. Maybe we go in the direction of the
understated casual look" (THE NEW YORKER, 8/18 issue).
NFL IN CANADA: The blackout of Saturday's American Bowl
in Toronto between the Packers-Bills was lifted (TORONTO
STAR, 8/14). In Toronto, Dave Perkins writes on the NFL in
Canada under the header, "Overhyped NFL Game Does Nothing
For CFL." NFL President Neil Austrian: "If we thought
playing this game would harm the CFL, we wouldn't do it"
(TORONTO STAR, 8/15).
