Unilever Senior Dir of Axe & Men's Grooming Matthew McCarthy said that while the men's grooming product line has been a Super Bowl advertiser the past two years, there are "no current plans to be there" in '15. AD AGE's Jack Neff noted Axe instead will have a campaign for the new
Axe White Label line that will "air on College Football Playoff games
Jan. 1." McCarthy: "It's a bit of an experiment for the entire college football world, and on Axe, we love to try new things. Fans are super excited. I think it's going to be huge, and frankly I wanted to put the brand there" (ADAGE.com, 12/22).
WAITING GAME: In Toronto, Josh Rubin notes among the jerseys, sweatshirts, headbands and socks at Air Canada Centre's Real Sports Apparel shop on Monday, there "was something that couldn’t be found: anything" with the Raptors' new logo, which was unveiled last week. An MLSE spokesperson said that new jerseys "won’t be available until early summer." Other apparel with the new logo "will be available" before the beginning of the '15-16 season (TORONTO STAR, 12/23).
THROW THEM BOWLS: The AP's Michael Liedtke noted this holiday season's "blitz of college football bowl games will feature a reshuffled roster of corporate sponsors spending millions to thrust their names in front of fans watching on TV and in the stands." Sports marketing experts estimated that the annual cost for top-tier games "ranges from" $25-$30M, which is up from $16-20M previously. Twelve of the 33 bowls returning from last year "have sold their naming rights to new sponsors, including several that defected from one game to another" (AP, 12/21).
JUICY DEVELOPMENT: In DC, Vicky Hallett reported a call this summer from the Wizards to Virginia-based Lumi Juice "led to a partnership between Lumi and the basketball team, and a flood of new ideas for drinks." Lumi "has also begun providing drinks to athletes" at VCU and Lumi Founder & President Hillary Lewis is "eager to pursue additional partnerships" (WASHINGTON POST, 12/23).
