SPONSOR IN CANADA: IL-based State Farm has signed on as
a platinum sponsor of the 2000 and 2001 women's tennis
tournaments in Montreal and Toronto, respectively. State
Farm will receive TV exposure via Centre Court signage as
the Official Insurance Company of the events. The company
will also present the Player Photo Gallery on the official
tournament Web site at tenniscanada.com (Tennis Canada).
NHL ASKS FOR LOGO CHANGE: The ECHL New Orleans Brass
"agreed" with the NHL's claim that the team's logo, which
features a trumpet, trombone and saxophone, "too closely
resembles one belonging to" the Blues, and will "unveil a
new logo" tomorrow. While the NHL asked the Brass to change
their logo three years ago, the team and the league "worked
out a deal whereby" the team would "not have to make a
change right away." NHLE VP/Legal & Associate General
Counsel Mary Sotis: "We worked with them for a time that
would be protective of our trademark rights yet responsive
to their business needs" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 5/16).
ROTATIONAL SIGNAGE: ANC Sports President Jerry
Cifarelli writes in BRANDWEEK, "Most new stadia and arenas
due for completion in 2000 and beyond will feature up to
1,000 feet of rotational signage, generating revenue as much
as 15 times greater than from the facilities that preceded
them." Cifarelli adds a "multi-brand company purchasing
entitlement to an arena or park might buy all the signage in
a facility, guaranteeing a consistent message to consumers.
If entitlement pricing continues to escalate, that kind of
scenario will be inevitable" (BRANDWEEK, 5/15 issue).
