| NASCAR WINSTON CUP SERIES SPONSOR |
| OF THE YEAR |
| | | |
| UNITED PARCEL SERVICE |
UPS knows all about the advantages of being in the right place at the right time. After all, that's what makes the company a success story in the competitive world of package shipping and delivery.
The same holds true for its foray into stock car racing. Last year, as NASCAR was gaining unprecedented exposure under a new network TV deal, UPS spent $14 million to slap its logo on veteran driver Dale Jarrett's car.
UPS spent additional millions on a series of humorous ads encouraging Jarrett to drive one of its signature brown delivery trucks on the racetrack. The spots immediately caught the attention of dedicated race fans as well as casual sports watchers, who know enough to connect speeding around an oval and rushing to make deliveries.
"The idea is so well-grounded with the sport, the driver and our company," said Rick Radermacher, national advertising manager for UPS, which had $27 billion in sales in 2000. "It just fell into place."
Jarrett, the 1999 points champion, credited the campaign for taking his popularity to new heights. Team owner Robert Yates Racing estimated that sales of Jarrett souvenirs increased by 60 percent last season, when he finished fifth in the Winston Cup standings and won four races.
Brett Yormark, NASCAR vice president of corporate sponsorships, said the best evidence of UPS' success is how quickly the company gained acceptance in racing, which he has noticed in conversation with fans. The ads' ubiquity also left the impression UPS had sponsored NASCAR for years, he said.
"They think UPS has been here forever," Yormark said. "That's a sign the ads are working."
UPS spokeswoman Susan Rosenberg said the company envisioned the Jarrett sponsorship as a way to excite both employees and customers. UPS employs 371,000. She said finding new ways to unite and rally such a large and diverse work force is always an issue. The reaction to Jarrett, a frequent visitor to company delivery hubs, proved enthusiastic.
The payoff was immediate. Yormark enjoys sharing an anecdote involving his New York deliveryman. Soon after learning Yormark's occupation, the deliveryman left a package with a note attached: "Can you get me tickets to the Pocono race?"
Now UPS faces the pressure of an encore performance. Cliff Sorah, creative director at The Martin Agency, which produced the spots, said a new batch of ads continuing the storyline — will Dale drive the truck or won't he? — are under way.
"We can see the next chapter clearly," he said. "This is one of those ideas that's so simple and effective, you just have to stay out of your own way. We've got some nice surprises for people in the ads this year. That's all I can say."
Erik Spanberg writes for The Business Journal of Charlotte.
