TENNIS: After announcing a revamped marketing plan for
2000, ATP Tour CEO Mark Miles "hopes to appoint" an ad
agency next year with a budget "initially put" between $3-
5M. AD AGE's Wayne Friedman notes that Wieden & Kennedy
"has done some project work" for the Tour (AD AGE, 12/12).
The SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Daniel Kaplan writes that even
with last week's announcement, "several critical questions
remain" for the ATP Tour, "not the least of which is whether
the logo" for the Tennis Masters Series "connects with
consumers." The logo (http://www.master-series.com), which
depicts two players' forehand and backhand strokes, "looks
like two interlocking rings of fire." Hayes Roth, Senior
Exec Dir at Y&R's Landor Associates, said of the logo: "It
is not inherently clear to me what it is. One of the
principles of branding is it must immediately communicate
something." Miles, on the logo: "It's grown on me"
(SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/13 issue)....BRIDGE NEWS's
Jennifer Allen reported that the WTA Tour "may enter" 2000
without a North American presenting sponsor, as title
sponsor Sanex "chose to limit itself to tour sponsorship
overseas." WTA Dir of Marketing Susan Marenoff said that a
couple of companies are "interested," but that no agreement
is imminent by the end of the year (BRIDGE NEWS, 12/10).
OTHER NOTES: In Cincinnati, John Eckberg reported that
Nabisco is the latest sponsor of the Kentucky Speedway,
becoming the track's official cookie and cracker. The
Speedway has signed 11 official sponsors so far, while
Outback Steakhouse is the track's official caterer and main
concessionaire (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 12/12)....Nike and
adidas are among the N.Y. TIMES' Stuart Elliott's 100 most
powerful corporate, media and product brands of the 20th
Century. Elliott lists ESPN among the "brands to watch" in
the 21st Century (N.Y. TIMES, 12/13)....In S.F., George
Raine reported Super Bowl XXXIV advertiser OurBeginning.com
"will have revenues of less" than $1M this year, but will
spend $4M on a Super Bowl ad buy and production. Buyer Bill
Croasdale said that ABC was "taking no risks" with the many
newcomers to Super Bowl advertising. The network "demanded
cash in advance, due no later than the first week of
November, or a letter of credit" (S.F. EXAMINER, 12/12).
