There was no shortage of marketing issues that left their mark on the industry this year. Below are some of the people, campaigns and ideas that made headlines in ’15.
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Lloyd and the women's team made a visit to the
White House on their victory tour |
CUP RUNNETH OVER: The USWNT grabbed the country’s attention as it marched to the championship of the FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer. Between parades and touring the country to thank their fans, the team had among the most-wanted athletes for endorsement opportunities. Two players who stood out were Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd. Morgan, who already had endorsement deals in place, landed on the cover of the latest EA Sports FIFA video game. Lloyd rose to notoriety after her goal-scoring binge put away the World Cup title early in the championship match. She has plugged Gatorade, Visa and Comcast’s Xfinity, inked a book deal and even promotes a spa in her home state of New Jersey.
HORNS OF PLENTY: The Univ. of Texas reached a 15-year extension with Nike for the company to continue providing shoes and apparel to the school’s teams. The deal is worth nearly $250M, making it the richest deal of its kind in college sports. Meanwhile, Nike added another big name, snagging the Univ. of Michigan from adidas with an 11-year, $169M deal. UM’s deal with Nike provides uniforms, footwear, apparel and equipment for all 31 varsity athletic teams.
Also:
* King's Ransom: LeBron signs lifetime deal with Nike worth at least $60M per year.
* Nissan lands 100 college deals in one of biggest multimedia buys ever.
* Serena Williams' appeal is at its peak with calendar-year grand slam in reach.
* Hyundai officially signs four-year deal to replace GM as NFL auto sponsor.
* Marketers, moviemakers seek out "sweet and vicious" UFC star Ronda Rousey.
* Top FIFA sponsors in open letter call for reforms including independent oversight.
* NBA planning for Kia patch on '16, '17 All-Star Game jerseys.
