National City Bank, a Browns sponsor, has inked a
multi-year partnership with Browns rookie QB Tim Couch to
promote the bank and its new Browns checking kit. A life-
size, stand-up display of Couch will appear in around 100
National City branches in Northeast OH, and Couch will be
featured in newspaper ads, POS material and on billboards.
Couch will also appear at community events as part of the
partnership (National City Bank).
QUARTERBACK PROTECTION: NJ-based Ansell Healthcare
Products launches an estimated $1M-plus TV, radio and print
campaign from SSD&W around its LifeStyles condoms brand this
month. The campaign will mark the "first time the marketer
will run ads on ESPN." Ansell also has team sponsorships
with the Patriots and the Raiders (AD AGE, 8/13).
SPONSORSHIPS: The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's David Finnigan
profiles Dodge's two-year sponsorship of ESPN/ABC's NHL
coverage. ESPN VP/Ad Sales Evan Sternschein said Dodge "is
basically going to run across all ESPN properties and ABC's
NHL (coverage)," and added the networks "are talking to all
the NHL official sponsors" about similar deals (HOLLYWOOD
REPORTER, 8/13)....In Cincinnati, Amy Higgins writes that
the Great American Insurance ATP Championship "has become
the preferred venue for business this week," as "about 34
companies," including Sprint, Cincinnati Bell and Entex
Information Systems, are hosting hospitality tents while
about 30 have rented luxury suites (CINCIN. ENQUIRER, 8/13).
