The Sports Authority "is contacting agencies nationwide about handling creative duties on its estimated" $80-90M account, according to sources of ADWEEK's Aaron Baar, who noted Tampa-based WestWayne is the company's incumbent agency (ADWEEK.com, 8/1).
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| Babooshkahs In The On-Deck Circle |
IMAGING: In N.Y., Vincent Mallozzi profiled Babooshkahs, the new wooden Russian-type dolls now being made in the image of sports stars and used as giveaways. WA-based manufacturer Bensussen Deutsch & Associates CEO & co-Founder Jay Deutsch, "[MLB] teams are extremely excited about Babooshkahs because it is bringing more fans out to the stadiums. I've been through the trading card and bobblehead crazes, and I think this is going to be the next collectible craze. The players themselves love it because it is a way of honoring and immortalizing them" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/3)....In Seattle, David Andriesen noted Ichiro "might be the first bobblehead to play defense," as the new dolls "depict the [RF] up against the wall making a catch." The Ichiro bobbleheads will be given to children 14 and younger at the August 26 game vs. the D'Rays (SEATTLE P-I, 8/2).
GODZILLA UPDATE: In Newark, Dave Hutchinson reported Yankees RF Hideki Matsui "is everywhere but nowhere in Tokyo. One sports store was sold out of pinstriped Matsui jerseys, but they're readily available in other stores. His old Giants' jersey wasn't seen as much as a crowd filed into the Tokyo Dome on Thursday night. The Giants' newest stars grace the magazine covers" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 8/3).
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NOTES: The logo for the '08 Beijing Games — "Dancing Beijing" was officially unveiled Sunday by the Beijing Organizing Committee. Chinese National People's Congress Chair Wu Bangguo and IOC Coordination Commission Chair Hein Verbruggen jointly unveiled the emblem in Beijing (IOC)....Sheraton Hotels "is involved in negotiations that could make it" title sponsor of this year's Hawaii Bowl. Sources said that Sheraton could replace ConAgra Foods, which titled the inaugural game last year before pulling its sponsorship in June. ESPN Regional TV VP Pete Derzis, whose net broadcasts the Christmas Day bowl game, said that a sponsorship announcement "was possible in early August" (HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN, 8/1).
