In DC, Dan Steinberg noted on the heels of the debut of his adidas commercial, Redskins QB Robert Griffin III appears in "another new spot," this one for Gatorade. Steinberg: "It seems pretty clear that this kid is now D.C.’s most marketable athlete, before he’s played a single down of professional football" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 7/18).
HOMETOWN HERO: In Indianapolis, Curt Cavin notes Alabama firefighter Curtiss Shaver's name "will be a featured part of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway." Shaver is the "winner of a Hometown Heroes contest conducted by Crown Royal, the title sponsor of the 19th annual Sprint Cup Series race." He will be the "guest of honor for a four-day sporting event that culminates July 29" with the "Crown Royal presents the Curtiss Shaver 400 at the Brickyard powered by BigMachine Records.com." Shaver's name "will be on all race memorabilia." Crown Royal "presented five candidates for fans to vote for on Facebook" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 7/19).
BANK ON IT: MARKETING magazine's John Reynolds reported RBS has "agreed to a 70% increase in its 6 Nations rugby sponsorship deal, as it looks to have beaten rival HSBC to retain the title sponsorship of the annual tournament." The bank "is set to confirm" a US$68.7M four-year deal to retain sponsorship rights (MARKETINGMAGAZINE.co.uk, 7/17).
DROPPING DOWN: The FINANCIAL TIMES' Robert Budden noted commercial TV broadcasters "are set to suffer a significant downturn in revenue during the Olympic Games." Media buyers and a senior airtime sales exec said that the TV industry "is now predicting falls" of 8-10%. The "sharp deterioration in the advertising market comes as many companies fear that the BBC, which is the host broadcaster for the Olympics in the UK, will dominate viewing figures during the Games." TV industry execs admitted that some advertisers "had moved their ad spend around to avoid the Olympics, either by shifting campaigns into the second quarter or postponing them until the fourth quarter, after the Games" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 7/17).
