MLB Signs Four-Year Sponsorship With Bayer's One A Day Vitamin

By Terry Lefton, Editor-At-Large

MLB and Bayer today took the wraps off a four-year sponsorship, under which the health care company's One A Day vitamin becomes the official multivitamin of MLB. Bayer will support the sponsorship by linking its Men's Health Formula and Men's 50+ Advantage vitamins to the Strikeout Prostate Cancer Challenge, a program that contributes $10 for every strikeout to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The program is expected to generate more than $300,000 per season. An additional $1M is being offered if any pitcher eclipses the MLB record of 20 strikeouts in a game, held by free agent P Roger Clemens, Cubs P Kerry Wood and D'Backs P Randy Johnson. The deal includes media buys on MLB rightsholders Fox and ESPN, and themed ads are expected as soon as this week. Bayer will support with print ads as well, and also is working on a companion Internet rights deal with MLBAM, through which a sweepstakes offering trips to the World Series will be run. Bayer also will put MLB logos on packaging and expects to sell about 8 million of those this year. White Sox DH Jim Thome, whose father and grandfather have battled the disease, will serve as spokesperson for the program, but will not be in the initial TV ads. Sources said Bayer was paying in the low seven figures in rights fees and in the mid-seven figures in media per year to support the deal. Paragon Marketing, also the sponsorship agency for fellow MLB sponsor Holiday Inn, negotiated the deal and is handling the activation for Bayer.

PLATFORM TO REACH MEN: Bayer Healthcare Consumer Health VP/Marketing & New Business Jay Kolpon said, "This is a great platform for us to reach men and MLB was always our first choice as a way to reach them." Launching a sponsorship with a vitamin supplement at a time when MLB is still tainted by steroid abuse makes the deal intriguing and sources said the subject was discussed at length during negotiations. However, Kolpon said, "We are comfortable that MLB is the best way to deliver our message of prostate cancer awareness and our product is about promoting good health." Longtime MLB sponsor Gillette also leverages a prostate cancer awareness program around Father's Day, but sources said that program may belong to Bayer in future years.