In Houston, Matt Young noted many MLB players during yesterday's games "wore white shoes to honor" Baseball HOFer Ken Griffey Jr., who was inducted yesterday. Nike released "special white cleats for their sponsored players to wear," while featured a "golden portrayal of Griffey's sweet swing on the side" (CHRON.com, 7/24). Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, C. Trent Rosecrans noted Griffey during his induction wore a "custom suit, tie and shoes." The suit has "tiny, vertical, teal text saying 'HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2016,'" while his gold tie "looked from a distance as a normal paisley tie," but it was "interspersed with his Swingman logo, a silhouette of his swing." His Nike shoes were "brown leather lace-ups and the heels were made with pieces of wood from one of his game-used bats" (CINCINNATI.com, 7/24).
YOU NEVER SAUSAGE A PRODUCT: In Charlotte, Erik Spanberg noted local marketing firm Signature Sports Group "is behind a promotional and advertising campaign" for food brand Eckrich, which this season "becomes an official sponsor of the College Football Playoff." The smoked sausage brand is also backing a $1M "weekly football-toss contest at major college games." ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit "will be featured in ads, in video clips as part of a newly launched website and will participate in a football toss airing on ESPN as part of the pre-game show prior to the national championship." Terms of the one-year agreement were not disclosed (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/22).
FRENCH TWIST: French soccer club Paris St. Germain has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with A-B InBev, making Budweiser the official beer of the defending Ligue 1 champion. Budweiser and PSG will activate the partnership in the U.S. and Europe, kicking off this week in L.A. where Budweiser will take the team's players on a boat trip. It is Budweiser's first deal with a Ligue 1 team and currently its only agreement with a European football club (HJ Mai, SBD Global).
