Marketplace Roundup

Student group asks OSU not to consolidate licensing with Cowboys

In Columbus, Marla Matzer Rose notes the Ohio State Chapter of Students Against Sweatshops “wrote to OSU President E. Gordon Gee this week, urging him to ‘reject any attempt to consolidate licensing with the Cowboys because the deal will inevitably cripple our university's ability to enforce our labor code of conduct.’" The Cowboys' new Silver Star Merchandising arm is among the companies vying for the university’s apparel license. The student group “pointed to a recent report by the Worker Rights Consortium, a labor-rights monitoring group, that said an Indonesian factory working for the Cowboys ... ‘illegally withheld from its workers the equivalent of more than half a year's wages.’" OSU Dir of Trademark & Licensing Rick Van Brimmer yesterday “stressed that no decision has been made on a deal and reiterated that his department's search process has been ‘open, competitive and transparent’” (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 6/2).

WHEELS & DEALS: In K.C., Randy Covitz notes NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer for the Sprint Cup Series STP 400 on Sunday “will carry the black, silver and green colors of American Ethanol on his No. 33 Chevrolet." The wall at Kansas Speedway also has been "painted green between turns two and three for the weekend races to draw attention to the use of ethanol.” In addition, about “1,100 corn farmers will be at Kansas Speedway to support Bowyer” (K.C. STAR, 6/2)....In Daytona Beach, Godwin Kelly reports NASCAR driver Brian Vickers skydived yesterday at Daytona Int'l Speedway in the “latest move in the track's marketing blitz to promote” the Coke Zero 400 on July 2. Vickers said, "Speedways are pushing to promote events more than they ever have, and drivers are kicking in more, too” (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 6/2).

JUST IN TIME FOR SUMMER: In Green Bay, Kelcie McCrae notes dairy company Kemps and the Packers “kicked off National Dairy Month on Wednesday" by introducing at Lambeau Field Touchdown Sundae, a “vanilla-flavored ice cream with caramel ribbons and chocolate-covered footballs filled with caramel." Each container “will feature the Packers logo as well as Kemps’ logo.” It will be available “at participating Wisconsin stores through the end of this year” (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 6/2).

FLIGHT OF FANCY: Gold Medal-winning figure skater Kim Yu-na has signed a deal with Korean Air in which Kim will receive "free first-class travel on all its routes." The airline "joins a sponsorship portfolio including Nike, Hyundai and Kookmin Bank that contributed to annual earnings of US$9.7 million last year" according to Forbes' calculation (SPORTSPROMEDIA.com, 6/2).