In a move that could "shake up" motorsports marketing,
CART is set to announce a sponsorship deal with FedEx that
will rename the Indy-car racing series and "raise the
stakes" in its rivalry with the IRL, according to Ken Berger
of the AP. The three-year deal, with an option for a
fourth, will rename the CART series the FedEx Championship
Series for the PPG Cup beginning in '98. The deal was
confirmed by racing sources and BBDO, NY, the ad agency for
FedEx. CART spokesperson T.E. McHale said a series sponsor
would be announced December 9 in New York, but would not
confirm it was FedEx. Berger reports that while CART's
FedEx deal could avoid "the tobacco problem that looms for
NASCAR's Winston Cup," the deal puzzled one sports marketing
analyst who said FedEx does not offer "the same benefits as
a retail sponsor." IEG Sponsorship Report Editor Lesa
Ukman: "That says to me that either FedEx was willing to pay
more than the Coca-Colas of the world, or CART couldn't get
the Coca-Colas of the world." Ukman "estimated" that
FedEx's share of the series sponsorship would cost $8-10M a
year plus TV advertising during races (AP/STAR-NEWS, 11/26).
SMALLER DEAL: CART Licensed Products inked deals with
GA-based Licensed Lifestyles; CA-based Aminco Int'l, and
Ontario-based Norman James Int'l Corp. for the merchandising
of gifts and novelty items bearing the CART logo (CART).
