Gatorade Limited Edition Bottle Honors Super Bowl Champs

ELI MANIA: Giants QB Eli Manning was named MVP of Super Bowl XLII, and Millsport President Dan Belmont said that the award "is to an athlete what an Oscar is to an actor." Belmont: "What it does is separate you from the pack of great athletes. It gives you another point of differentiation." The Davie Brown Index (DBI) indicates winning the MVP translates into improved awareness and notice ratings. Davie Brown Talent President Jeff Chown said, "In some cases, like tonight, the way the game unfolded and the drama involved in winning, an MVP will also see a spike in attributes like appeal and trustworthiness" (The Marketing Arm). Marketing Evaluations’ Henry Schaefer, whose company compiles Q scores, before the game said that Manning's score "is close to the levels [Colts QB Peyton Manning] was registering about four years ago," so he should now "make a similar climb" as Peyton did after winning Super Bowl XLI. Updated Q scores are coming out next month, at which point "the change in Manning's stature can be quantified." Sports Business Group President David Carter said: "If he's going to sustain a strong endorsement career, his personality will have to mature, just like his game has matured.'' 16W Marketing co-Founder Steve Rosner said that Manning's "quiet personality in some ways could be a positive for him," as it could "separate him from other sports figures and is something that can be used creatively in an ad campaign" (Neil Best, NEWSDAY, 2/2). The N.Y. POST reported since the Giants' NFC Championship Game win over the Packers on January 20, Manning-signed collectibles have "far outdistanced all other Giants-related online sales at Steiner Sports." More Manning items were sold in the first three weeks of the year than during the first seven months of '07 (N.Y. POST, 2/3).

NOTES: The ARIZONA DAILY STAR notes Patriots coach Bill Belichick "ditched his usual gray hooded sweatshirt for a red one with the name 'Patriots' in block letters across the front." The sweatshirt retails for $70 on NFLShop.com (ARIZONA DAILY STAR, 2/4)....Patriots Pro Shop Manager Mike Perriello reported the $75 Belichick-inspired gray sweatshirt is "by far'' the shop's best seller. Fox' Neil Cavuto also noted almost 4 million TVs are purchased with the Super Bowl in mind. Akamai Technologies' Jeff Young said there is a 400% average increase of visitors to an advertisers' Web site if the company airs an ad during the Super Bowl (Fox, 2/3)....U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents joined with the Phoenix and Glendale police departments to seize more than $300,000 worth of counterfeit merchandise last week. About 6,000 total pieces of merchandise were seized (USA TODAY, 2/4)....Fathead on Sunday released a limited edition commemorative logo of the Giants. The logo features team colors and four additional items, including a replica game ticket (Fathead)....Giants DE Michael Strahan is featured today in a "Got Milk'' full-page ad in USA Today. It reads in part: "Unbelievable: Nothing tastes better than victory. So I down the milk" (THE DAILY).

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