MLS will debut its new ad and marketing campaign,
entitled "It's Your Game," during ABC's broadcast of the
Galaxy-United match tomorrow. The ad will run
simultaneously on MLSnet.com, the league's official Web site
(THE DAILY). USA TODAY's Peter Brewington writes that the
30-second ad debuting tomorrow is "similar" to the NBA's "I
Love This Game" spot (USA TODAY, 3/24).
SOUTHERN COMFORT: GA-based Southern Company will launch
a series of four 15-second TV spots, via Shepardson Stern &
Kaminsky, NY, around its PGA Tour sponsorship during NBC's
weekend coverage of The Players Championship. Fred Couples,
Phil Mickelson and Davis Love III are featured in separate
ads, while the fourth spot features several golfers,
including Sergio Garcia, David Duval and Tom Lehman. The
spots will appear throughout the year during PGA Tour
coverage on NBC, ABC, CBS and ESPN (Southern Company).
UNFAMILIAR FACES? In Pittsburgh, Teresa Lindeman writes
that a new Pirates ad campaign, via Marc USA, "addresses
[the] embarrassing situation" that was revealed when Pirates
focus groups were unable to name at least five players on
the team. The six new 30-second ads, set to debut Monday,
"should speed up the process of turning the team's talented,
but anonymous, players into sports heroes." The campaign
uses the tag, "You gotta see 'em" (POST-GAZETTE, 3/24).
