Daily Buzz 3-12-12
Ivy League hires Leverage as first marketing agency
For the first time in the conference’s 58-year history, the Ivy League has retained a marketing and sales agency. The Leverage Agency will consult with the “Ancient Eight” on media, sponsorships, social media, public relations and licensing.
Within the last few years, the conference has added conference tournaments in men’s and women’s lacrosse, and a women’s crew championship is scheduled for this year. The Ivy League is also seeking a new or renewed football TV deal, since its Versus/NBC Sports Network deal has expired. A comprehensive sports television package is the goal, but there are television deals with individual Ivy schools in sports, including basketball and lacrosse, that are clouding the issue. (www.sportsbusinessjournal.com)
Corona Light Aims Squarely at American Beers in New Campaign
Does drinking American beer ever get monotonous?
That is essentially the pitch Corona Light is making in a campaign that positions the Mexican import as a “refreshing change” from what the brand is calling “all-too-familiar” brown-bottled domestic brews. The campaign is the first effort for Light by Omnicom Group’s Goodby Silverstein & Partners, which won the account late last year.
TV spots show men trudging through consecutive days with the same routine: “Eat, work, gym, shower, bar, beer, sleep…” Things change when they drink Corona Light, with their nights suddenly filled with exciting events such as costume parties and karaoke. “We are trying to get the domestic light drinker to think about his choice and trade up to a Corona Light,” said Jim Sabia, exec VP-marketing for Crown Imports, who previewed to Ad Age the importer’s 2012 marketing plans for its brands, including Corona Extra, Modelo Especial and Tsingtao.
While its flagship Corona Extra still commands the most marketing attention, Crown has tried in recent years to give Light a separate personality as the “social brother” to Extra, which is the largest imported beer in the U.S. Last year, ads moved the Light brand away from is traditional beach imagery in spots by La Comunidad featuring rooftop party scenes.
Imports frequently target domestics, because to grow they must steal share from Bud Light, Coors Light and Miller Lite, which control 35% of the beer category, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights. Corona Light, on the other hand, has less than 1% of the light-beer category, according to Crown. (The brand ranks eighth among all imports, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights.) But while Light’s target is not changing, it is making a more direct appeal. “Our aspiration is to get this a lot bigger, and the way to do that is to try to get all these domestic light users … to maybe try something different,” Mr. Sabia said. (www.adage.com)
Decades After Pepsi, MOM Is ‘Choice of a New Generation’
News flash: Pepsi is no longer the “Choice of a New Generation.” As of today that distinction belongs to a small instant-oatmeal brand owned by MOM Brands, which said it has scooped up the iconic trademark once used by the cola giant.
If Michael Jackson were alive, it’s doubtful he’d be singing for MOM Brands, formerly called Malt-O-Meal, which markets multiple breakfast brands on a shoestring budget. The phrase’s heyday was in the 1980s when it was the centerpiece of a glitzy, music-filled Pepsi campaign by BBDO’s famed creative Phil Dusenberry, who died in 2007. Ads featured Mr. Jackson, Lionel Richie, Glenn Frey, Tina Turner and others.
MOM Brands’ answer to those stars is Josh Anderson, an amateur filmmaker who stars in an online video the marketer will debut this week for Better Oats instant oatmeal, which was launched a couple of years ago. In the ad, Mr. Anderson — hardly the King of Pop — dances around in his kitchen in a robe paying homage to Better Oats’ multiple offerings in song: “A 23-flavor celebration, the choice of a new generation …”
MOM Brands said it secured the “Generation” slogan after Pepsi allowed its trademark to lapse. A PepsiCo spokesman said the last time the company used the trademark was in 1991. The company declined to further comment for this story. (www.adage.com)
Netflix Quietly Launches TV Network-Branded Pages
Comcast, Cablevision, Cox and … Netflix?
Netflix has been careful to describe itself as a complement to cable distributors, but as it quietly tests network-branded pages in what appears to be an effort to give content partners more visibility, it risks positioning itself as a substitute for cable packages.
These pages, which Netflix is trying out with a few cable networks, let Netflix users browse shows by TV network. Viacom , the parent of MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central, and Discovery Communications, whose networks include Animal Planet and TLC, appear to be the first companies testing these pages.
But finding the network-branded pages is not quite as easy as turning on a channel guide. If subscribers type the phrase “MTV” in the Netflix search bar they will be taken to a results page with a hyperlink that, when clicked, reveals a list of all MTV shows available to stream. (www.adage.com)
Charles Barkley Hired in IT Department (in CDW Campaign)
In a campaign breaking tomorrow and running during basketball conference tournaments and the NCAA March Madness tournament, Charles Barkley goes to work in the IT department — or as Sir Charles dubs it, the “it” department — of fictional company Gordon & Taylor. (The premise is that Gordon & Taylor is great at technology but has an awful basketball team.) The campaign for tech service and product provider CDW was created by Ogilvy, Chicago, and includes the TV spots, a website, digital advertising and an upcoming social-media effort. (www.adage.com)
No group loves mobile or social media more than Hispanics—so where are the brands?
You’d think marketers nationwide would clamor to connect with the Hispanic digital audience. Studies continue to show they not only lead the population in embracing mobile technology, but they overindex in social media engagement as well. Just last month, for instance, a survey from BIGinsight found that Hispanics, whether on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or other major social networks, logged in more frequently than other groups.
But marketing experts say advertisers aren’t keeping up.
“On the whole, [they’re] not there yet,” said Charlie Echeverry, evp of sales for Univision Interactive Media. Some advertisers, in categories like media, entertainment and retail, are using mobile more aggressively to reach Hispanics, but spending in mobile advertising—which increasingly overlaps with social and disproportionately reaches Hispanics—is still just a fraction of overall ad spend, he said.
Even when brands recognize the importance of reaching Hispanics with social media and mobile technology, some say, efforts are misguided. (www.adweek.com)
UnitedHealthcare will be the presenting sponsor of two 5K races hosted by Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia (GOTR NOVA), and will also be the “Front Runner” sponsor of participating students at 10 Fairfax County schools.
The two 5K races, held in May and November, are the culminating events of the Spring and Fall 2012 Girls on the Run seasons, where girls in grades 3 through 8 learn life-long skills to improve their emotional and physical health by training to either walk or run in a 5K race. Nearly 4,000 girls are expected to participate in the program that’s designed to provide pre-adolescent girls with the necessary tools to embrace their individual strengths as they enter middle school and high school.
The first race – the Girls on the Run Spring 5K presented by UnitedHealthcare – will take place at George Mason University’s Fairfax campus Sunday, May 20. The second race – the Girls on the Run Fall 5K Presented by UnitedHealthcare – is currently scheduled for Nov. 18 at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Va. The public is encouraged to come and cheer thousands of girls who are expected to participate.
UnitedHealthcare is also serving as the sponsor for the “Front Runner” event that allows girls in 10 additional Fairfax County schools to participate in Girls on the Run programs this year. (www.sponsorship.com)
Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Named Official Vodka Of 2012 Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach
Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka has been named the “Official Vodka” for the 2012 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, the 38th edition of the famed “Roar by the Shore.”
Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka, created by Indiana golf legend Fuzzy Zoeller, is no stranger to the IZOD IndyCar Series. But now the popular Fuzzy’s brand makes its debut at the biggest racing street party.
Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka, the Official Vodka of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series, has had alliances with several entries in the Indianapolis 500. In 2012, Fuzzy’s will serve as the primary sponsor for the No. 20 Fuzzy’ s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet-powered IndyCar for team owner/driver Ed Carpenter, the IndyCar Series winner at Kentucky Speedway last year.
“We’re looking forward to being the official vodka of the prestigious Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach,” said Fuzzy Zoeller, former Masters and U.S. Open Champion. “We have a passion for racing and Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka is going to tee it up at the track to share the spirit of the racing fans in the streets of Long Beach. It should be a great racing weekend with Fuzzy’s. It’s the perfect finish to a great drive.” (www.sponsorship.com)
Toyota Becomes Official Sponsor Of AFC National Team Competition
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has entered into a partnership agreement with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to become an official sponsor of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) National Team competition. The competition acts as the 2014 FIFA World Cup BrazilTM Asian Qualifiers, which are to begin on June 3, 2012.
TMC has sponsored the AFC Champions League – which determines the number one club team in Asia – since 2005, and in addition to sponsoring the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Asian Qualifiers, TMC intends to continue to expand its support of soccer through sponsorship of the 2015 Asian Cup and other events.
TMC is a believer in the dreams, hopes and emotions that soccer instills, and, wishing to share the attraction of soccer with many more people, has supported various international soccer competitions for more than 30 years. (www.sponsorship.com)
Garda World Security Corporation (”Garda”), one of the leading Security Solutions, Cash Logistics and Global Risk Consulting firms in the world, announced today its title sponsorship of Maude-Aimee LeBlanc – a Quebec native who burst onto the LPGA scene in December 2011. Ms. LeBlanc, an All-American college player who led Purdue University to win the 2010 NCAA Team Championship, turned professional in June 2011.
“As a young professional golfer, Maude-Aimee’s career trajectory mirrors the history of our company – an up-and-coming young player who has established herself among the best in the game and who is on the way to the top,” said Stephan Cretier, President & CEO. “Maude-Aimee will achieve her goals in the game of golf, while Garda will reach those same levels in the world of security services, cash logistics and global risk consulting.”
Ms. LeBlanc, 23, began playing golf at age five when her father introduced her to the sport. By age nine, she was already winning golf tournaments. At 13, Ms. LeBlanc realized that with hard work, determination and focus on her performance, she could achieve great success in the sport she loves. With a scholarship from Purdue University, she won the 2006 International Junior Orange Bowl and the 2006 Canadian Junior Championship. She was named first team All-American by Golfweek; second team All-American by NGCA, and earned the Mary Fossum Award for lowest stroke average in the Big Ten. She was also first team All-Big Ten for the third-year straight and was Purdue’s top-finisher in the national championship. (www.sponsorship.com)
Spotting the Trends, Before They Break Out
MARKETERS have long tried to track trends among consumers and then race to capitalize on them. At the turn of the last century, Lillian Russell appeared in advertising for Coca-Cola. The craze for the cowboy character Hopalong Cassidy at the dawn of the television era generated licensed merchandise like lunch boxes and roller skates. And most recently, countless basketball fans went wild for Jeremy Lin.
Now, the Omnicom Group — the world’s second-largest advertising holding company, behind WPP — is helping to start an agency that seeks to identify emerging trends in popular culture and take advantage of them by creating and distributing content sponsored by brands and products.
The agency, Sparks and Honey, is formally opening this week in New York with eight employees and two clients. One client is the Clinique brand sold by the cosmetics and beauty behemoth Estée Lauder and the other is, for now, unidentified.
The agency is being started with the support of Omnicom by Terry Young, who has worked in interactive advertising, direct marketing and customer relationship management for agencies owned by Omnicom, the Interpublic Group of Companies and Epsilon. (www.nytimes.com)
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