USA Basketball Sponsors Begin Activation Around Men's Team

By Terry Lefton, Editor-at-Large

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With USA Basketball (USAB) playing its first warmup game tomorrow as it makes its way to China for the Olympics, its 15 sponsors are filling the lane with activation programs, including grass-roots, content, themed TV ads and retail promotions. The State Farm USA Basketball Challenge sees the insurer lending its name to tomorrow's USAB game versus the Canadian national team at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Nike, which has all but one USAB player under contract (the lone exception is Dwight Howard, an adidas endorser), is the presenting sponsor and sole sponsor of a five-part ESPN2 documentary on the team titled "Road to Redemption." Produced by NBA Entertainment, the show will also be streamed in cutdown versions on YouTube, NBA.com, USABasketball.com and Nike.com. Nike is producing a USAB-themed TV ad, and has built a USAB exhibit in Harlem. Coke has also produced Olympic spots, which include Yao Ming and LeBron James, and Sprite is also producing a USAB-themed ad featuring James.

CALLING CARD: AT&T, USAB's newest sponsor, is making a content play. They are producing exclusive content for wireless applications and their AT&T Blue Room and U-verse offerings. They are behind-the-scenes looks at how the team has been organized and developed with coach Mike Krzyzewski, USAB Managing Dir Jerry Colangelo and other USAB luminaries. AT&T will also offer that content in VOD and on its wireless applications. There is also an AT&T-branded USAB widget that allows fans to get team information.

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OTHER ACTIVATION: Aside from titling tomorrow's game, State Farm's ever-increasing appetite for sports sees it taking presenting sponsorship of the mobile marketing tour "USAB Red, White, and Hoops," as well as a "Hoops for Troops" tour at military bases. James and Kobe Bryant, in their USAB uniforms, are also being included in their 50 Million Pound Challenge TV ad. McDonald's, which did promos with USAB players on 30 million cups earlier this year will also include Howard in its Olympic packaging this summer. 24 Hour Fitness is opening a new center in Beijing with Basketball HOFer Dominique Wilkins making an appearance, while two USAB women's team members will open a club in California. EA Sports will include the USAB men's team in "NBA Live 09." "We have the most activation since the original Dream Teams,'' said Mark Tatum, NBA Senior VP/Marketing Partnerships.

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