Experiential To Play Key Role In Nokia's Biggest Marketing Campaign Ever

After sliding down BrandChannel's Best Global Brands list from #8 to 14 and losing 15% of its brand value in 2011, Nokia will look to reverse its luck heading into the holiday season by tripling its marketing budget around the launch of a big new product. Today at Nokia World 2011, the company launched the Nokia Lumia, which will be supported by the biggest marketing budget in the company's his...

Playmark Looks To Simplify Athlete Licensing For Small Business

NFL PLAYERS, Inc., the for-profit subsidiary of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), and Playmark, today announced an exclusive partnership to make the official rights of NFL players more accessible to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Playmark.com's streamlined licensing process aims to make it easy for the creative and tech community (think product developers and designers), to create offic...

Jobless, Amar'e Interviews at Foot Locker

Making the most of the NBA situation, opportunistic marketers are still finding clever ways to activate even as the lockout eats in to more of the '11-12 season than fans would have wished for. Long-time New York Knicks sponsor, Foot Locker, rolled out this amusing Amar'e Stoudemire job interview on YouTube this week. Hat tip: Brian Gainor #activationstag footlocker

So You Think You Can Dance?

Smirnoff's Nightlife Exchange Project hopes to get 10 million people to discover, share and swap the most original nightlife experiences in 50 countries across the world. To do that, the vodka brand has lined up some serious star clout in the form of a new partnership with Madonna, who will use the branded social media platform to find a dancer for her upcoming tour. The contest opened yesterda...

Tire Maker's New Ad Hints At More Sports Sponsorships

With all the recent jockeying among tire companies for sports deals (don't take our word for it: check SponsorPitch's Sponsor Index), it's not a big surprise that one tire maker's new TV spot focuses almost exclusively on the correlation between their product and sports performance. Check it out below. The company in a release says that the ad is intended to mirror their existing sponsorsh...

Done Deal: Post Says Meadowlands Naming Rights Deal Completed

There have been a lot of rumored naming rights suitors since the Giants and Jets began construction on a new stadium. Among them Ashley Madison and Allianz. Alas, it seems one may stick. As has been rumored for at least a couple months now, the New York Post says that MetLife has signed a definitive agreement to become the naming rights partner of the Meadowlands. The 20-year deal will be annou...

Goya Teams Up With Marc Anthony For Sponsored Tour

Goya Foods, which says it is the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States, has agreed to sponsor a six-city concert series with Marc Anthony, Ana Gabriel and Marco Antonio Solis to celebrate Goya's 75th anniversary. Though the deal has likely been in the works for some time, the timing of the sponsorship announcement is interesting given Anthony's press as of late. The nine co...

First Time Sponsors Toast US Open Tennis

Update: Aetna has announced a three-year sponsorship with the USTA that will include many activation elements at the U.S. Open. As the U.S. Open gets ready to kick-off, fans will have an official champagne to toast several new sponsors. Moet & Chandon will join Davis Cup sponsor, Adecco, and notable newcomer, Xerox, as new additions to the U.S. Open's official sponsor line-up this year. T...

Premier League Clubs Net New International Deals

Manchester United reportedly will become the first Premier League club to secure a second shirt sponsor exclusively for its training kit. The four year deal will reportedly earn the team somewhere between £4m and £10m a season from DHL, which has been the club's official logistics and courier partner since February. Meanwhile, Bloomberg says that Manchester United is also close to announcing ...

WNBA Signs 'Richest' Sponsorship in League's 15-Yr History

The WNBA has signed the "richest [sponsorship] in the league’s 15-year history," executives said on Monday. The official announcement is expected to come later today. Boost Mobile will become the league’s only “marquee” sponsor in a deal that will allow the prepay wireless service brand from Sprint Nextel to put its logo on the front jersey of 10 of the WNBA's 12 teams. Boost competitor, T-Mobi...