USAA Quietly Signs Four-Year Deal As NFL's Newest Insurance Sponsor

USAA earlier this month signed a "four-year deal as the NFL's new insurance sponsor," according to Terry Lefton in this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. USAA, a "relatively unknown brand in the hypercompetitive insurance market," sells insurance and "other financial service products to military, retired military and their families." The company "hopes to use the power of the NFL to celebrate and commemorate military service and differentiate itself within the insurance market." As such, USAA secured the designation as the NFL's "official military appreciation sponsor." USAA Exec Dir of Marketing Don Clark said, "USAA is a different kind of company. It is all about combining America's passions for football and the armed services." Lefton notes USAA "sees the NFL as a way to cut through the noise in what has become a category notable for its increasing marketing clutter." Clark: "It's a noisy (insurance) market, but we like this opportunity to show our eligible universe of 60 million consumers what kind of company we are." IMG, USAA's sports agency of record, "handled the negotiations and will implement activation." Activation will center on "military service appreciation and will see USAA advertise on NFL games with NFL-themed ads." USAA is developing an awards program that will recognize those in communities "doing the most to honor and thank the military." Deals with the Chargers and the Redskins, both located in cities that are "military strongholds," have been completed to "support the league sponsorship" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/29 issue).