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Bing, Univ. Of Phoenix, Vitaminwater Were
Big Winners From Last Night's Show |
The "biggest beneficiaries" from ESPN's coverage Thursday night of LeBron James' announcement that he will sign with the Heat were Microsoft's Bing and the Univ. of Phoenix, co-presenting sponsors of "The Decision" telecast, according to Stuart Elliott of the N.Y. TIMES. James' LRMR Marketing sold ad space to the 73-minute special, giving sponsors commercial time, "on-air mentions, plugs, product placement and other forms of integration into the show itself." Both the Univ. of Phoenix and Bing were "cited by name several times by an announcer as their logos appeared onscreen." The online college twice during the broadcast was "thanked for donating scholarships" to James' foundation. The Univ. of Phoenix also "had its logo plastered on screen often, and the logo even showed up inside the gym" in Greenwich, Conn., where James made the announcement. The four Bing spots "were the most for any advertiser," while Vitaminwater aired three and McDonald's two. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which received all proceeds from "The Decision," ran four commercials, "presenting the same spot four times." There were 19 commercials in total during the show. Vitaminwater also "got placements in the gym." There was an opened bottle next to James and a branded Vitaminwater cooler on the back wall. Vitaminwater also "got a plug late in the show when Mr. James answered a question submitted by a fan on the brand’s Facebook page" (NYTIMES.com, 7/9).
SOUTH BEACH, FEELING THE HEAT: In South Florida, Kevin Gale writes James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh "will be a boon to the Heat's presenting sponsor, travel services company Assist-Card," which "has its U.S. headquarters in Miami's Brickell Avenue business district." Assist-Card Senior Dir Jason Schreier said that the Heat are a "strong international brand, especially in Latin America, and Wade is a globally popular star, even in nations like China." Meanwhile, PrimeTime Public Relations & Marketing President Alan Brown Wednesday following Bosh's announced plan to join the Heat said, "You are going to see Miami be a national hit all the time on the schedule." Brown also "sees a trickle-down effect for other players on the Miami roster who might be candidates for local marketing and sponsorship deals." Florida-based On the Ball Marketing President & CEO Steve Nudelberg said that the "challenge for South Florida's other pro teams could be competing for the limited corporate dollars in the region" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/9).
SHIRTS ALREADY IN DEMAND: Ft. Lauderdale-based Atlas Embroidery & Screen Printing VP/Sales Adam Cohen indicated that "tens of thousands of T-shirts ad been shipped to the American Airlines Arena, Sports Authority, Dick's Sporting Goods and Champs Sports" after James' announcement. Cohen: "There were people lined up at all these stores before the merchandise arrived." Cohen "expects the Heat will have the type of national following that the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bulls had during their dynastic periods" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/9).
