Menu
Marketing and Sponsorship

Chris Berman set to tout Entune system in national effort

Terry Lefton
Other than countless ESPN promotional spots during Chris Berman’s years at the network, we recall his presence in some memorable commercial performances, like a Southwest Airlines ad in which he was trapped in a taxi with the driver prattling nonstop Berman schtick. There were also some you might go “back, back, back” to watch again — and some you might not — for brands including Gatorade, Sprite, Dunkin’ Donuts, Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Bowl, Diet Coke, Taco Bell, Miller Lite, Nutrisystem’s weight-loss products and, more recently, a push for Applebee’s restaurants.

Now, after 32 years at the all-sports network, Berman finally has his first auto ad. A Toyota spot, breaking this week from Saatchi & Saatchi, Los Angeles, uses Boomer and other stars to push the top-selling Toyota Camry’s Entune multimedia entertainment/information system that allows drivers to access various information via the Web.

Berman is on board representing the ability to access sports data and is joined by a number

of other celebs focusing on other segments. “American Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson will demonstrate the system’s musical capabilities with her latest hit; “Inside the Actors Studio” producer and host James Lipton showcases the system’s entertainment capabilities, which include the ability to buy movie tickets online; and TV chef and restaurant critic Andrew Zimmern represents the
Berman (top left in Toyota), has a long track record as a pitchman, including with Applebee’s.
foodie in all of us — which fits nicely with Entune’s ability to pull up information about proximate eating establishments and even make online reservations.

Given that kind of broad appeal, we’re told that the ad, filmed last month at the Westchester County (N.Y.) Airport, will get plenty of play outside of Berman’s normal sports-centric audience, which we believe is what his handlers had in mind — other than selling a few cars, of course.

Headline Media Management, New York, represents Berman.

REDRAWING THE LINES: While über-salesman Harlan Stone continues an affiliation with the U.S. Tennis Association, elsewhere within the commercial side of tennis’s national governing body, there has been a reconfiguration.
After 19 months with the USTA, former MSG executive Lew Sherr has been elevated from managing director of corporate partnerships to chief revenue officer, and Deanne Pownall has been promoted from senior director to managing director of partnership marketing. With the promotion, Sherr takes on additional responsibilities for account management of the USTA’s sponsors, along with licensing efforts. He’ll continue to oversee hospitality sales. Sherr said he hopes to improve year-round sponsorship activation and participation by corporate patrons in the USTA’s grassroots programs as well as attract more dollars from overseas.

Sherr
Category-wise, Sherr said he would like to attract sponsorship dollars from a wireless carrier or handset marketer. He’s also looking hard at the hyperactive insurance category, outside auto insurance, a category in which Esurance is a USTA partner. The USTA is very, er, liquid in terms of beverage sponsors, with a roster that includes Evian, Gatorade, Grey Goose vodka, Moet & Chandon, and Heineken but no traditional carbonated soft drink.

Meanwhile, Sue Hunt, formerly managing director of marketing, has been elevated to chief marketing officer and will handle the marketing/communications responsibilities that had been under Stone’s aegis. As previously reported (SportsBusiness Journal, April 18-24 issue) Stone, formerly the USTA’s chief business and marketing officer, is now managing director of broadcast and business development. While Stone continues to launch SJX Partners, a separate outside marketing agency, he will devote 60 percent of his time to his USTA responsibilities, said Chris Widmaier, USTA managing director of corporate communications.

WAVE THE FLAG: With Veterans Day approaching, neophyte NFL corporate sponsor USAA, which targets the military and military families for its insurance and other financial service products, is planning its most ambitious activation yet. USAA will be presenting sponsor of the NFL’s first late-season Thursday night game this week, when the Oakland Raiders visit military-heavy San Diego. A patriotic card stunt is planned, backed by USAA, which got the designation of the NFL’s official military appreciation sponsor when it signed on this past summer. Similar activations could be planned around possibly more teams once pending deals are completed.

Hundreds of servicemen will be hosted, and USAA hopes to debut some NFL-themed creative at the same time.

“The message is ‘Thank you military, and Thank you veterans.’ Hopefully that is authentic enough to drive engagement around appreciating the military, and hopefully that leads to people finding out what makes our offerings at USAA unique and different,” said Don Clark, USAA executive director of marketing, who added that brand awareness and knowledge of the NFL association are top objectives. “This is a different kind of sponsorship, so hopefully that lets people know or find out that we are a different kind of company.”

An awards platform recognizing service to the military community should be rolled out during the NFL postseason, Clark said.

IMG is USAA’s sponsorship agency.

Terry Lefton can be reached at tlefton@sportsbusinessjournal.com.

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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/Journal/Issues/2011/11/07/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/The-Lefton-Report.aspx

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

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2011/11/07/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/The-Lefton-Report.aspx

CLOSE