Marketplace Roundup
The NASCAR HOF, which opens in May, is expected to lock down Mars as its first marketing partner. The company will promote its M&M's brand in a fan interactive area of the HOF, sources say. M&M's also sponsors Kyle Busch's No. 18 Sprint Cup Series Toyota. Mars and the HOF expect to finalize the agreement Friday and an announcement could come this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway during NASCAR's season finale. M&M's also is announcing the winner of its yearlong "Most Colorful Fan" contest this weekend at the track (Michael Smith, SportsBusiness Journal).
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Design Officials Feel Nike's LeBron
Mural Should Include A Nod To Cleveland |
MAKING SURE CLEVELAND ROCKS: In Cleveland, Tom Breckenridge reported Nike and Cavaliers F LeBron James want to replace the downtown mural of James with his "arms-spread ... with one of him standing bare-chested, his skin a scaly, armored texture, a basketball at his side." The proposed new image is part of the campaign for Nike's Pro Combat line of apparel. However, Cleveland's design review committee "tabled a request ... from a local representative of Nike to replace the two-year-old landmark mural." Officials said that the image "should include a nod to Cleveland" (CLEVELAND.com, 11/19).
WELCOME TO A NEW ERA: In Buffalo, Matt Glynn cited sources as saying that New Era Cap Co. "plans to sharply reduce its manufacturing operations in the United States and will decide whether to keep or close its plant" in Derby, New York. The sources said that New Era "will cut its number of U.S. manufacturing plants from three to one, and will close one of its distribution centers." New Era in a statement said that it "will shut a production plant in Jackson, Ala., likely in the first quarter of next year," and that the company also will "determine which one of its two other U.S. plants, in Derby and Demopolis, Ala., it will keep open." New Era also "plans to close a distribution center in Mobile, Ala., in the second quarter of 2010" (BUFFALONEWS.com, 11/19).
ROUNDUP: Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) will field Toyota Camrys in the NASCAR Nationwide Series beginning with the '10 season. The team currently plans to enter the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys driven by Steve Wallace and Brendan Gaughan, respectively (RWR)....Actors Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo will reprise their roles from "National Lampoon's Vacation" in HomeAway's new national ad campaign, which will debut during CBS' broadcast of Super Bowl XLIV on February 7 (HomeAway).
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