Super Bowl XLIV was a big hit for Sun Life (http://bit.ly/bDFajm)
These year’s Super Bowl ads were weak – at best. Each company paid over $3 million for a 30-second spot and then floundered when it came to creative execution.
For most advertisers the $3 million was a wasted investment that won’t lead to good returns. But one corporation got it right.
Sun Life Financial recently paid a $5 million annual fee for the naming rights to Miami Dolphins Stadium. The deal was made just before the stadium played host to the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl XLIV, and is already paying off, Media Week reports.
With a slew of “verbal mentions, on-screen text and stadium signage,” Sun Life received more than $26 million in media value, according to FrontRow Analytics. The deal, which encompasses everything from stadium signage to logo promotion, is expected to last for at least five years.
Shaun White, one of few Olympians to hold endorsements (http://bit.ly/cuKt66)
The recession has assaulted the sports world, affecting everything from ticket sales to advertising deals.
Endorsements were hit particularly hard, and no one felt this more than Olympic athletes. The shortage of deals has resulted in an increasing number of Olympians picking up side jobs to keep their dreams alive.
Olympic freestyle skier Shannon Bahrke, for example, started her own company, Silver Bean Coffee, to stave off a forced retirement.
We used to get a lot of money through our equipment and apparel companies, but now we’re lucky to get a pair of skis. I’ve been on the ski team for 12 years and this was the first season I had to invest my own money in the sport. It was either pay my own expenses or retire.
Unfortunately, Bahrke’s story is the norm for Winter Olympians. With the exception of snowboarder Shaun White and speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno, Olympic athletes have been absent from TV commercials and print advertisements this year.
LeBron James inks endorsement deal with McDonald's (http://bit.ly/cKEPV0)
McDonald’s took a calculated risk when it signed LeBron James as its next celebrity sponsor.
Sponsorship deals were sparse for athletes last year. The recession forced corporations to cut back on superfluous spending. Scandals by athletes such as Tiger Woods and Serena Williams also led to serious hesitations by advertisers.
This lack of corporate sponsorships seems to be continuing in 2010 – though not for McDonald’s. The fast-food chain just inked a deal with Cleveland Cavalier forward LeBron James.
To kick off this partnership, James will appear in the remake of an iconic 1993 Super Bowl commercial featuring Michael Jordan and Larry Bird, according to The Wall Street Journal.
In addition, the NBA star will also rack up a number of public appearances. Among other events, James will show at this year’s McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games.
This is fitting, as McDonald’s and James were first introduced when James starred on the high school All-American team. It is this long history that likely sealed the deal for the global burger chain.
“All we can do is look at the past behavior and hope that will be a future indicator of what that person is going to be like,” Peter Sterling, vice president of marketing for McDonald’s USA, told The Wall Street Journal.
“He’s got a passion for what he does, he’s family oriented, he’s community-minded, and he’s charitable.”
Sounds a bit like a pre-November Tiger Woods. But McDonald’s will be prepared, as the contract will be sure to have a huge morals clause. A few years ago, the corporation parted ways with James’ fellow NBA star Kobe Bryant when he faced rape allegations.
“We only sign with athletes that we believe have a good fit with the brand,” Sterling said. “We haven’t done a lot of these recently. That’s not because of Tiger, but the Tiger Woods situation has certainly shined a spotlight on this.”
While both McDonald’s and James will likely make millions of this deal, the real winners are the fans, who get to see more of James and the endless entertainment he provides.
