MARKETING magazine’s Matthew Chapman reported Nike “is focusing on the new generation of football players in its 'My Time is Now' campaign," which stars Brazilian club Santos FC MF Neymar and Bayern Munich MF Franck Ribery. The TV campaign by Wieden & Kennedy “is set during a France versus Holland football game that is interrupted by waves of young players who invade the pitch ... to take on the best players in the world,” including Inter Milan MF Wesley Sneijder and Manchester United F Danny Welbeck. The rising stars in the ad “each wear a black and white jersey, which [Real Madrid F] Cristiano Ronaldo also trys to pull on, only to realise it's too small.” Former FC Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola and Heat F LeBron James “also make guest appearances in the ad," alongside footballers including FC Barcelona F Andres Iniesta and D Gerard Piqué, Real Madrid MF Mesut Özil and ManU F Javier Hernandez.” Chapman noted the campaign “is expected to run through the summer” (MARKETINGMAGAZINE.co.uk, 5/21).
STARS & STRIPES: MLB yesterday unveiled the ’12 Stars & Stripes caps that will be worn by all teams on Memorial Day and Independence Day weekend as part of the league’s fifth year of national fundraising and awareness initiatives for “Welcome Back Veterans.” The group since ’08 has awarded more than $11M in grants to more than 30 non-profit agencies across the country targeting veterans’ greatest needs. The caps will remain in each club’s official color, but a digital camouflage applique will fill the logo on the front of the cap (MLB).
EASILY REPLACEABLE: Kolt Communications Owner & Advertising Expert Robert Kolt said that plenty of companies, including competitors of GM, “would gladly pay millions of dollars for Super Bowl ad space that the automaker opted not to buy in 2013.” He added that CBS “should be able to easily find replacement advertisers.” Kolt said, “The net effect of General Motors pulling back just creates a void that other automakers will step into.” He added that GM’s problem “is a history of mediocre or even bad Super Bowl spots.” The company “caught flak for a 2007 commercial that depicted a robot committing suicide after making a mistake.” Kolt “couldn’t remember with certainty which car Chevrolet was advertising in a certain commercial he recalled from the last game.” Kolt: "The American auto makers have pulled out of the Super Bowl in the past ... foreign auto makers will gladly step up and take their place” (MLIVE.com, 5/19).
QUALITY OVER QUANTITY: The FINANCIAL TIMES’ Alan Rappeport reports A-B InBev “has taken a unified approach to marketing Budweiser, using a centralised advertising team to create global themes and tailoring them to markets where the brand is rolled out.” The company “has shifted its resources from traditional to digital media, but increasingly it is using integrated campaigns combining Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and television advertising.” A-B InBev remains “more interested in quality than quantity when it comes to its online presence and clicks.” A-B InBev VP/Brands & Innovation Frank Abenante said, “The creative idea is the same, but the execution is different. We cannot just rely on Super Bowl ads any more” (FINANCIAL TIMES, 5/22).
