Menu
Marketing and Sponsorship

Monster Energy A Big Winner At Daytona With Debut Of Entitlement, Kurt Busch Win

The Daytona 500 "couldn't have turned out better for Monster Energy," as longtime endorser Kurt Busch won the race in the first event under the company's NASCAR Cup Series title sponsorship, according to a front-page piece by Ken Willis of the Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL. Additionally, the company's "visibility, which had been questioned through much of Speedweeks, was at its in-your-face best Sunday" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 2/27). Willis writes of Monster winning in its title sponsor debut, "I know it was Oscars night, but that's not a script anyone could take to production" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 2/27). The AP's Dan Gelston wrote the race "gave NASCAR the buzz it craved in the season opener." This was a "victory of redemption for Busch" and for Monster, which has "promised to pump new life into NASCAR's sagging sport." Consider the inaugural race a "monster success" (AP, 2/26). Monster Energy VP/Sports Marketing Mitch Covington said, "The fact that we won in our first race as title sponsor is beyond crazy. We brought in Rob Gronkowski (who has his own branded drink with the company) and our CEO flew in at the last minute, and we had 20 Monster girls in Victory Lane." ESPN.com's Darren Rovell wrote it was a "sponsor's dream come true." Busch "popped out of his car, which has the Monster Energy logo on the back portion of the car, in a helmet with the Monster logo on it." He then "chugged a can of the energy drink with the nation's eyes on him" (ESPN.com, 2/26).

SOME KIND OF MONSTER: NBCSPORTS.com's Nate Ryan notes while "some facets of Monster's debut as title sponsor ... seemed curious," the decision to bring Gronkowski to the race was a "huge coup" for the brand (NBCSPORTS.com, 2/27). YAHOO SPORTS' Jay Busbee noted Gronkowski was "enjoying himself immensely as a guest of both NASCAR and Monster Energy." Gronkowski was a part of the “grid walk” segment during the pre-race programming. While Fox Sports' Michael Waltrip "interviewed drivers, Gronkowski went all in with the Monster Girls" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/26).

NOTHING NEW HERE: In Orlando, David Whitley before yesterday's race wrote the use of Monster Energy Girls is a "concocted controversy." Whitley: "Monster Energy prides itself on being 'edgy,' and NASCAR could use the buzz." NASCAR also has been "peddling flesh" since it began. Victory Lane "always has employed beauty queens and sponsor models to plant big kisses on the winner’s cheek" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 2/26).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2017/02/27/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Monster.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2017/02/27/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Monster.aspx

CLOSE