The NYSE "is joining the growing list of financial
service brands using sports marketing as a marketing
vehicle," according to BRANDWEEK's Terry Lefton. BBDO,
N.Y., is currently shooting a spot "with a bevy of high-
priced sports talent, including Sammy Sosa, David Robinson,
Mia Hamm, Bill Goldberg and Bill Parcells." The spot, which
includes Fox NFL analysts Howie Long and Terry Bradshaw,
asks viewers "what is the center of the sports universe.
The answer, of course, is the NYSE" (BRANDWEEK, 9/13 issue).
GETTING IN THE GAME: The FINANCIAL TIMES' Noreen
O'Leary profiled Charles Schwab's new ad campaign, which
features "high-profile athletes" such as Shannon Sharpe and
Anna Kournikova. Schwab Exec VP/Advertising & Brand
Management Len Short: "What we're doing is making key media
associations with big sports events that appeal to our
customers: the NFL, tennis events like the US Open, the
French open, Wimbledon and the PGA. We buy deep into those
events and we feel it's important to become a part of them,
so we've built this campaign around sports figures"
(FINANCIAL TIMES, 9/11-12). Meanwhile, the SPORTSBUSINESS
JOURNAL's Langdon Brockinton writes that Schwab has reached
agreement with ABC that will give it the only spot in the
commercial break "immediately before the kickoff" of every
"MNF" game this season. Schwab has "a similar agreement"
with CBS for its NFL games (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/13).
BUCK-ING BRONCOS: In Denver, Penny Parker wrote that
U.S. Bank is supporting its official bank sponsorship of the
Broncos with a new ad campaign and promotion. The campaign
promotes the bank's Broncos checking account, which features
checks with the team's logo. The promotion is "part of a
six-figure, multiyear" agreement between U.S. Bank and the
Broncos. U.S. Bank also has sponsorship relationships with
the Mariners and the NBA Kings (DENVER POST, 9/12).
