MCI introduces new TV spots on NBC's telecast. The campaign
will be complemented by aircraft skywriting over Atlanta during
the event. MCI said it has spent $20M in media alone to run 82
spots during the Games. MCI is also sponsoring 15 prime time
vignettes, called the "Last 24 Hours" which features NBC
highlights from the previous day (AD AGE, 7/23)....Reebok Int'l
has hired The Bonham Group, a Denver-based sports marketing firm,
to evaluate its Atlanta sponsorship presence (The Bonham
Group)....New Balance will keep the three story building next to
Centennial Park that it bought and renovated into a hospitality
area. They will now rent it to other companies as hospitality
space for conventions and other trade shows. New Balance has
invested $3M into the building (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION,
7/23)....Swatch watches with Annie Liebovitz photos on the band
and face are selling strong at Centennial Park. They are also
available at Macy's (USA TODAY, 7/23)....Sources say Swatch is
close to signing a deal with Sydney 2000 officials to renew their
sponsorship. They would join McDonald's and Coca-Cola, who have
also made commitments past '96 (Dottie Enrico, USA TODAY,
7/23)....Nielsen's top advertisers for coverage of Sunday's NBC's
telecast include McDonald's, Coca-Cola Classic, and UPS.
McDonald's aired seven ads; Coca-Cola had 5, and UPS ran 5 (USA
TODAY, 7/23)....The PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS' Ed Moran looks at
athletes and the difficulty in achieving commercial success:
"All the right factors will have to fall into place in an exact
order before ... [companies] start tossing paychecks." Marketers
agree TV coverage is essential. ISI VP Steve Rosner: "An
athlete might have a great underlying story, but because of the
lack of coverage, during or before the Games, it might get lost"
(PHILA. DAILY NEWS, 7/23)....Atlanta-based UPS' Olympic
sponsorship is profiled in the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION. In two
years, UPS has invested nearly $100M in its Olympic marketing
program. UPS Dir of Business Development John Alden said the
company is in the final stages on deals for Nagano and Sydney
(ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 7/23).
