Marketplace Roundup

Alabama Hopes To Reap Benefits From Championship Merchandise

In Alabama, Patrick Rupinski reported merchandise marking the Univ. of Alabama's victory in Thursday's Citi BCS National Championship Game against the Univ. of Texas "went on sale at some stores Thursday night, immediately following the game, and additional national championship items started arriving in area stores on Friday morning." The UA athletic department, "which licenses UA products, will reap additional royalties paid on the extra merchandise that manufacturers continue to roll into stores" (TUSCALOOSA NEWS, 1/10).

THE QUACK WILL NEVER DIE: In N.Y., Stuart Elliott reports recent Aflac ads have featured a "mysterious Web address, youdontknowquack.com," and beginning today a multimedia campaign will "direct consumers to a second Web address to reveal what the message means." The campaign, via Zimmerman Advertising, Tallahassee, a part of the Omnicom Group, is "composed of 45 elements that include presences on Facebook and YouTube; trivia questions on TV; a line of duck clothing; ... commercials during the NBC coverage of the Winter Olympics; and a NASCAR car bearing the cartoon duck and the 'You don't know quack' theme." Meanwhile, Elliott notes the relationship between Aflac and Kaplan Thaler Group, N.Y., a Publicis Groupe agency that created the duck character in '99, "is ending." Kaplan Thaler Group "played only a supporting role" in the new campaign (N.Y. TIMES, 1/11).

BLAST FROM THE PAST: EA Sports is developing an updated version of "NBA Jam," a highly popular arcade videogame from the '90s, for release on the Nintendo Wii later this year. The game, featuring two-on-two basketball play in an over-the-top style, was one of the first to include NBA teams and player likenesses. The updated "NBA Jam" will also join EA's previously released arcade-style football and basketball titles, "Madden NFL Arcade" and "3 On 3 NHL Arcade." "'NBA Jam' is one of the most recognizable franchises in videogame history," said EA Sports President Peter Moore. "Diehard fans of the original game have been asking for a remake for more than a decade. We're very excited to give them their wish with the return of this iconic franchise" (Eric Fisher, SportsBusiness Journal).

NEWFOUND WEALTH: In N.Y., Bill Madden noted Baseball HOFer-elect Andre Dawson "can count on making millions in autograph signings for the rest of his life." New Jersey-based memorabilia dealer Alan Rosen: "I've always said making the Hall of Fame is worth a minimum of a million dollars. To begin with, guys who were getting $10 per autograph, as Dawson was, immediately jump to $40, but then you have to take into account the greatly increased demand for his autograph" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/10).