While "even marketers jaded by attending scores of big
events" were "moved" by the MasterCard-sponsored on-field
presentation of MLB's greatest living players before last
week's All-Star Game, BRANDWEEK's Terry Lefton writes, "At
the risk of being crass, did MasterCard's brand get enough
exposure as the party responsible for the whole affair, with
its All-Century team promo?" MasterCard VP/U.S. Sponsorships
& Events Jeff Price: "We're looking at that right now. You
walk a fine line there, but we're seeing if there's a way to
get the brand out there when we wrap this thing up at the
World Series. Either way, it will be a hard act to follow"
(BRANDWEEK, 7/19). In the SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, Bill King
examines MasterCard's All-Century promo, which the company
is "calling its largest ever in terms of size, scope and
sophistication." Sources said MasterCard will spend "about"
$20M to support the promo via broadcast, print and Internet
ads. MLB execs call it the "most widely integrated
sponsorship program that baseball has sold." Price:
"Between what we're doing and what baseball is doing, this
is clearly the largest integrated program that we've ever
been involved in. Both in terms of sports and outside of
sports, it's the biggest thing we've ever done" (SBJ, 7/19).
BASEBALL (NOT HAY) FEVER, CATCH IT: Lefton adds that
Schering-Plough's Claritin allergy relief medicine has
signed an MLB sponsorship deal, and while the deal is not
especially "lucrative," since "it's in a category few other
sports have, it could be considered found money." S-P is
"looking to link hay fever to MLB's verdant fields," both in
ads and promotions (BRANDWEEK, 7/19 issue).
MORE MLB NOTES: USA TODAY's Hal Bodley reports that MLB
and sponsor Century 21 will stage 14 "Turn Ahead the Clock"
events during the second half of the season. Players "are
going to don uniforms" that MLB and Century 21 "think
they'll be wearing in the next century" (USA TODAY, 7/20).
...In Ft. Worth, David Markiewicz examined the marketability
of HOF inductee Nolan Ryan and wrote Ryan is "fashioning a
solid career as a corporate product spokesman with
endorsement deals for a pain reliever, boots, beer, athletic
wear and a restaurant" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 7/19).
