Coca-Cola will announce details of its '95 NFL marketing
activities next week, according to AD AGE ONLINE, including "a
consumer promotion built around" Emmitt Smith in the aftermath of
PepsiCo's controversial deal with Cowboys' Owner Jerry Jones.
Starting October 2, specially marked bottles of Coca-Cola
products will offer discounts on special "Emmitt Zone" apparel
from Starter. Coca-Cola will support with in-store point of
purchase and ads from McCann-Erickson Worldwide, New York (AD AGE
ONLINE, 9/25).
ANOTHER MAJOR NFL PROMO: Visa and Fox will team up for
"Call for Quarterbacks" -- seen as "the most integrated national
promotion NFL Properties has ever attempted." During the
November 22-26 sweeps, different celebrity QBs -- Steve Young,
Dan Marino, Drew Bledsoe, John Elway and Brett Favre -- will
guest in Fox shows with viewers getting the chance to be
"honorary backups." Visa will run spots each night featuring
Young and the Grand Prize -- honorary abckup at Super Bowl XXX
(Jeff Jensen, AD AGE ONLINE, 9/25).
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF CRICKET: Coca-Cola has selected an
alliance between Wieden & Kennedy and McCann-Erickson to promote
an international cricket event, according to Eleftheria Parpis of
ADWEEK. The deal, to tout Coke's sponsorship of The Willis World
Cup tournament being held in Asia, "marks the first time an
advertiser other than Nike has taken advantage of the partnership
between the two agencies." Sources say the February event could
"generate $30-40 million in ad spending" and that Coca-Cola's
investment will be "significant" (ADWEEK, 9/18 issue).
