Appearing in a commercial that aired during Game 1 of the World Series last night "will not compromise the amateur status" of Little League World Series P Mo'ne Davis "should she choose to play college sports," according to Darren Rovell of ESPNW. Davis "appeared in a 60-second commercial for Chevy that recapped her amazing summer," when she became the "first girl in Little League history to pitch a shutout." The spot was directed by Spike Lee. NCAA Associate Dir PR & Media Relations Emily James said, "Davis may be paid for appearing in the Chevy commercial without impacting her NCAA eligibility." Rovell noted the NCAA D-I membership in January "provided more flexibility on eligibility standards." Davis has "expressed her desire to play college sports, but not baseball or softball" (
ESPNW.com, 10/21). Lee said that all of Davis' money "will go into a trust fund." He added that Davis "had to capitalize on her instant fame because once she goes into ninth grade ... she would be subject to NCAA amateur rules" (
N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 10/22). USA TODAY's Dan Wolken notes within seconds of the ad airing, there was "speculation on social media whether Davis' paid appearance in the commercial would render her ineligible to play NCAA sports given that college athletes are not allowed to profit from their name, image and likeness" (
USATODAY.com, 10/22).
CARD SHARKS: ADWEEK's Michael McCarthy notes MasterCard debuted two new 30-second ads during last night's game that "highlighted Apple Pay, which became available Monday for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus customers." The ads, via McCann XBC, featured Baseball HOFer George Brett and former MLBer Mariano Rivera "surprising card-holders at ballparks." Brett's ad was filmed Monday at Kauffman Stadium, and MasterCard APMEA Group Head of Marketing Maripi Jalandoni said that the cardholders "went nuts when the Royals Hall of Famer strolled into the suites where the cameras were rolling." The fans also "got a tour of the stadium where the Royals and Giants were practicing" for last night's contest. MasterCard and McCann XBC "raced to get the Brett commercial ready" for last night's telecast. Jalandoni: "As a marketer, I had to make sure we had a Plan A, Plan B and even a Plan Z. … There were many moving parts to this" (
ADWEEK.com, 10/22). See the full sponsorship portfolio for
MasterCard at Resource Guide LIVE.
