IndyCar driver Dario Franchitti will have his traditional No. 10 changed to No. 50 for the Indianapolis 500 on May 27 in honor of Target's 50th anniversary this year. This season marks the 23rd year Target has been a sponsor of Chip Ganassi Racing. The Target bullseye will replace the zero in the number on Franchitti's car. Both Franchitti and teammate Scott Dixon will also have the Target bullseye on the chest of their firesuits changed to the 50th anniversary logo for the month leading up to the race (Target Chip Ganassi Racing). The AP's Jenna Fryer noted Target's relationship with Ganassi began in '90 and is the "longest in company history" (AP, 5/10).
HOPING FOR A REBOUND: FORBES.com's John Clark Jr. noted BP and Electricite de France SA are hoping their sponsorship deals with the London Games are an "opportunity to restore confidence in their brands." BP was responsible for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, while Electricite de France ran the Japanese nuclear reactor that suffered a meltdown following last year's tsunami. Oxford Univ.'s Institute of Retail Management Academic Dir Jonathan Reynolds said, "The Olympics is rich in analogies and metaphors which can help businesses reestablish themselves. It is a large and specific event -- not just a general value halo effect -- and there are relatively few of those events around" (FORBES.com, 5/9).
HEADING TO THE 'POOL: EPL club Liverpool has "launched a new kit design for next season taking inspiration from their glory days from the 1970s and 80s." The team's crest "has a distinctly retro feel," but some fans "may feel aggrieved by the removal of the eternal flame which was added following the Hillsborough disaster of 1989." However, the jersey does include two "small flames either side of the number '96' on the back of the neck in rememberance of those who died." The kits are the team's first from Boston-based Warrior Sports (London TELEGRAPH, 5/11).
