New Billboard Near Wrigley To Play Upon Cubs' Billy Goat Curse

Effen Billboard Outside Wrigley Field Addresses Infamous Billy Goat Curse

Premium vodka brand Effen "is among those brands racing to team up with the Cubs via a new billboard going up Thursday in front of Wrigley Field," according to Lewis Lazare of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. Effen's billboard "addresses what has -- in the opinion of many superstitious observers -- been the team's biggest obstacle to winning the World Series for a good chunk of the past 100 years ... the infamous Billy Goat Curse." The word curse "conveniently dovetails with" Effen's ad campaign from Euro RSCG, Chicago, which is "based on the theme line 'Effen is a five-letter word.'" Euro RSCG also reportedly is "working on another billboard that would go up near U.S. Cellular Field that is aimed at loyalists who follow the White Sox," who are currently 77-61 and tied for the AL Central lead with the Twins. The White Sox billboard "is expected to carry the message 'South. Effen. Sider'" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 9/3).

PRESIDENTIAL GUARANTEE: The SUN-TIMES' Lazare yesterday wrote a Cubs-focused spot featuring comedian Frank Caliendo as part of MLB's $65M "There's Only One October" playoff ad campaign has Caliendo "sitting in front of a computer and doing a rather weak impersonation of George W. Bush as he blogs about the baseball season." Caliendo "talks about how Bush predicted the Cubs would make the playoffs -- a prediction that fans apparently thought might further jinx the perennially jinxed North team." In the spot Caliendo as Bush "says he doesn't believe in 'jinxification'" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 9/2).

MARK UP: In Ft. Worth, Jan Hubbard reported if Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban purchases the Cubs, he could "spark an increase in Cubs paraphernalia sales." One T-shirt vendor near Wrigley Field has produced "a shirt with Cuban's name inside the Cubs 'C' logo, below the words 'We Want.'" The vendor: "They haven't been selling a lot lately. But if Cuban gets the team, I'm sure they'll be a hot item. The guys in the bleachers love them" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 8/31).