McCafes Out, Fraps In For McFashionistas

Just as buyers, designers and media were getting used to mass consumer brands like QVC and McDonald's in the tents, Crain's NY today reports that MickyDee's as pulled out of its Fashion Week sponsorship after only two seasons. McDonald's deemed the sponsorship a buzz strategy around the launch of McCafe and not a longer term investment. “We had a tremendous presence at Fashion Week in 2009. T...

Links 02/11/10

Deals FLW Outdoors, Yamaha extends sponsorshipDale Earnhardt Jr. to endorse Hunt Valley's CarchexStarbucks Replaces McDonalds at Fashion WeekSummer Reebok Championships CancelledState Farm signs 3-year deal to become an NBA corporate sponsor Samsung Returns as a Global Sponsor for the 2010 NAVTEQ Global LBS ChallengeKohl's teams up with ACS & Komen for the Cure to Fight Breast CancerFin...

Google Breaks Out The Olympic Rings

Update #2: As of Saturday morning, Google has now dropped the Olympic rings from its homepage altogether. Update #1 (Friday): In response to this story, a Google spokesperson emailed to say that all use of the olympics logo or symbols have been previously reviewed and approved by the IOC. On cue, Google unveiled this morning some beautiful Olympic imagery on its notoriously clean homepage -- ...

Activation Tactic of the Week

Are you looking for new ways to leverage the passion and emotion of sports without owning rights to marks? Are you looking for new ways to leverage key holidays throughout the calendar year? Puma has created an outstanding Valentines Day viral campaign that will surely impact the lives of thousands of soccer fans (and their spouses) around the world. Puma created an entertaining viral piece th...

Edwards Has Responsibility at Daytona: Footlongs for Food Banks

Not wanting the USOC to have to generate all of the buzz for Subway's new campaign, the sandwich chain is aiming to carry its own weight with a new Carl Edwards campaign this weekend at the Daytona 500. Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Aflac/SUBWAY Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion will have the opportunity to win a bunch of footlongs for his hometown food shelter. If Edwards wins, the Columb...

Links 2/12/10

Deals Emirates Confirms $82 Million Deal with A.C. Milan Trends The TOP Dogs of Olympic Sponsorship America's Cup Sponsors Abandon Ship Sponsorship Bailout by IOC Worked Tactics PETA Asks Larry Bird to Drop McDonalds SponsorshipTaco Bell is an All-Star This Weekend Audi Launches Winter Olympic AdsMcDonalds Uses Olympic Ads to Tout Smoothies, Food QualityKodak Joins Home Depot Deserting...

Blackberry Loves Black Eyed Peas, Too

Coming on the heels of Blackberry's blockbuster U2 sponsorship in 2009, Blackberry has partnered up with The Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. World Tour starting February 16 and taking the group to more than 40 cities throughout the world. Details of the activation are still unclear, but organizers are planning to stream the group's March 30th performance at Staples Center to nearly 500 movie thea...

The Swiss Army Knife of Measurement?

Since sponsorship often contains many different types of media under a single deal, properties often must measure pieces of the puzzle in isolation and piece them together for the client. Now one company is attempting to aggregate various forms of media valuation under one roof (one application), designed for sponsorship. Meet Turnkey Sports and Entertainment's new online reporting tool, Activ...

P&G CMO on Activating Fast & Bundling Brands

While P&G's "Thanks Mom" campaign may be hitting all on cylinders in Vancouver, the world's largest consumer products maker didn't have much time to put their plans into action. P&G announced its first ever Olympic sponsorship with the USOC last year and quickly put together marketing plans to make the most of it over the next two weeks. SBJ's Tripp Mickle has a great interview with Pro...

Links 2/16/10

Deals Aaron's Renews ARCAUSOC adds BP as a SponsorThe Black Eyed Peas Team Up WIth Blackberry for 2010 TourCoca-Cola Plans to Extend Olympic Sponsorship Trends The Social Media Olympics: "Big brands go digital to enhance sponsorship" Tactics Diet Coke Targets FashionistasProcter & Gamble CMO Marc Pritchard Talks SponsorshipVisa and Samsung mobile banner advertising for Vancouver 2010