MUST HAVE BEEN THE ROSES: In Cincinnati, Tim Sullivan
wondered why Pete Rose was not included on the ballot for
Wheaties' 75th anniversary promo. Wheaties spokesperson
Gregory Zimprich: "There have been over 500 people on the
box over the years, and we tried to cut across different
sports and different eras." But Sullivan called it a "PR
answer" which "fails to get to the point" that re-releasing
a cereal box featuring Rose in a Reds uni "could raise
licensing issues" with MLB because of his lifetime ban.
Reds Marketing Dir Cal Levy: "The rule is that he's not
allowed to appear (in uniform) in a commercially oriented
program unless it's in a group photo with historical
context" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 4/28).
IT IS EVERYWHERE: Visa signed a three-year deal to
become the official consumer payment services supporter of
The All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team
(Visa)....Visa formed a partnership with the Women's Sports
Foundation as a part of a merchant donation program with
retailers, including Gart Sports and Toys 'R' Us (Visa).
OTHER NOTES: Fox Sports Online's (FSO) "Feet" spot,
which shows an FSO user diapering a baby with his feet while
browsing the Web site, won "Best of Show" at the 14th annual
"ADDY" awards. The entire campaign by Cliff Freeman &
Partners won an honorable citation (Fox Sports Online).
...During the month of March, the Fox Sports/ROI Research
Poll asked 1,205 respondents to name the sponsors of the
NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Of more than 80 companies
mentioned, Nike, "who was not a sponsor," was most often
named at 13.7%. Coca-Cola (6%) and McDonald's (4.9%) --
also non-sponsors -- rounded out the top three (ROI Poll).
