Making The Pitch: A Look Back At The Most Noteworthy Marketing Stories Of '17

The past year was filled with significant marketing news that will have its impact felt in ’18 and beyond. Below are some of the people, campaigns and ideas that made headlines in ’17.

NFL TOP OF MIND: Amid the attention over player protests during the national anthem, questions abound about how NFL sponsors, including USAA, would react. While most sponsors stayed quiet, Papa John’s blamed the league not cracking down on protesters for declining pizza sales. The company later apologized for its comments, with some believing the initial stance was spurred on by Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones, who owns several franchises. Meanwhile, CBS reported no sponsors had pulled spots from NFL coverage, while league licensees said they saw a decline in sales.

BREAKING NEW GROUND: The NBA broke ground as the first major North American stick-and-ball league to allow jersey patches. However, those jerseys, in the first year of its deal with Nike, made headlines for the wrong reasons, as several tore during games. On top of that, many NBAers were covering up the Nike logo on their socks. Meanwhile, the NBA and Nike introduced smart jerseys that give fans access to player and team content.

Also:

• Yankees RF Aaron Judge took MLB by storm thanks to a memorable performance in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby. He parlayed that and his rookie record 52 home runs into deals with Pepsi, “MLB: The Show” video game, Fanatics and Under Armour, and the best-selling MLB jersey.
• The rise of Big Baller Brand brought a much-ridiculed shoe that failed to catch on, partly due to its high price tag.
• Microsoft renewed its NFL rights deal as the official sideline technology partner.
• Under Armour faced a challenging year as it fell behind in the shoe market despite having Stephen Curry headlining its roster.
• Adding to a challenging year for the NFL, concerns over player safety did not abate.
• NASCAR found itself at a critical juncture as it dealt with economic uncertainty; it has yet to reach a deal with MillerCoors, and drivers found sponsorship money drying up.
• Fanatics’ deals for Fermata’s college business, MLB, Under Armour accentuated its success.
• Several Super Bowl ads addressed the U.S.’ heightened political tension.