In L.A., Keith Lair cited a source as saying that Amgen "recently renewed" its title-sponsorship of the Tour of California. AEG Sports Senior VP and Tour of California Exec Dir Kristin Bachochin Klein "would not discuss the contract or terms of contract" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 5/17).
LOB CITY'S AD MAN: In Oklahoma City, Berry Tramel wrote Clippers F Blake Griffin was "a star" during the NBA Playoffs, but his Kia commercials have "stolen the show." Griffin's "dead-pan humor and surprisingly sharp dramatic flair has made for three straight memorable Kia campaigns." Griffin is "more than just a mouthpiece." Among his endorsements are Nike, Subway, Powerbar, Vizio, Red Bull, Foot Locker, the "Rage" video game and GameFly.com, but it is with Kia that Griffin "has become a marketing star" (OKLAHOMAN, 5/17).
HEATH BAR CRUNCH: U.S. women's national soccer team MF Tobin Heath appeared on FS1’s “America’s Pregame” and discussed her partnership with energy supplement Glukos. Heath said, “So many times in the professional athlete world, we're looking for that one or two percent that we can get to add to our performance, and Glukos allows me to do that. It's twice the energy, twice as fast. I've been around all the products, and the fact is they've got all the products to allow me to perform at my best. I'm really excited about the partnership” (“America’s Pregame,” FS1, 5/18).
