Brand Tracker App Pits Olympic Partners In Virtual Race

Getting dizzy from all the reports of which brands are making the most of their sponsorship rights? A new interactive infographic from social video platform, Unruly Media, puts a fun twist on measurement by pitting official sponsors against each other in a race for Olympic glory. Behind the cutesy interface there is some science. Brand Tracker keeps tabs on the total number of shares across Fac...

Study: 20% Of The Fortune 500 Invests In NASCAR

A new analysis by NASCAR revealed that more than 20% of the Fortune 500 invests in NASCAR in some form or fashion. The study looked at companies that sponsor teams, tracks, and the sanctioning body or are media partners and found that 114 Fortune 500 companies invested in NASCAR in 2012. "Some of the world's most profitable and successful corporations chose NASCAR to help drive their business...

Coachella To Set Sail With Beer Sponsor Already Aboard

If you've ever dreamed of going on a water slide at sea while listening to your favorite live music, you now have that opportunity. One of the most popular summer music festivals in America is taking to the high seas with a unique new concert cruise format unveiled yesterday. The organizers of the The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Annual Festival will set sail with S.S. Coachella in December ...

VIDEO: Adidas Activates Soccer Partnership With Fitting Room Prank

Adidas earlier today rolled out a viral video in which it installed a a fake fitting room inside Amsterdam's Ajax Experience, the retail store of Netherlands' football club, AFC Ajax. Fans trying on the new adidas jersey were in for quite a surprise. Definitely worth the watch. H/T: Andy Plas and 101greatgoals.com #activationstag

U.S. Water Polo Adds Official Defibrillator

Zoll Medical, a manufacturer of resuscitation devices and related software solutions, has partnered with USA Water Polo as the official automated external defibrillator of the organization. Under the terms of the partnership, Zoll will supply the AED Plus for the organization’s 500 clubs across the country. One of the first clubs to be equipped with a unit is the 2012 U.S. Olympic Water Polo Te...

216-202, House Saves Military Sports Sponsorship

By a vote of 216-202, the House defeated an amendment last night by Jack Kingston, R-Ga., and Betty McCollum, D-Minn. that would have eliminated sports sponsorships from the $608 billion defense bill. Current sponsorship spending for armed forces recruiting flows into sports like NASCAR, NHRA, bass fishing and mixed martial arts. The AP reports that strong opposition from delegates in Souther...

Now, Marketers Can Own NYC's MetroCard

New York's iconic yellow and blue MetroCard is now for sale to marketers. The MTA yesterday announced a new plan that will let marketers get their message out by branding both the front and back of MetroCards, which 8.5 million commuters use to get on the city's bus and subways each day. While the MTA has previously allowed ads on the back of cards, this is the first time that cards can be comp...

Jersey Ads Likely Coming To The NBA For 2013-14 Season

It appears that the much discussed idea of jersey sponsorships will become a reality for the NBA as soon as the 2013-14 season. Following Thursday's Board of Governors meeting in Las Vegas, commissioner David Stern and Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver indicated that owners seemed ready to move forward with the idea, which they said could generated $100 million annually in new revenue. “My sens...

Pittsburgh Steelers Agree To Multi-Category PepsiCo Partnership

PepsiCo has signed a multi-year relationship with the Pittsburgh Steelers to be the franchise's exclusive non-alcoholic beverage, salty snacks and sports fuel provider. The deal, which replaces a long term partnership the team had with Coca-Cola, will include PepsiCo's expanded portfolio, including brands such as Pepsi, Frito-Lay and Gatorade. As part of the new sponsorship, PepsiCo will gain ...

Fitness Brand Aims For 100% Growth In Events Biz

With roots throughout the Midwest and a brick and mortar fitness club business generating over $1 billion in annual revenue, some outside of the endurance community might be surprised to learn that Minnesota-based Life Time Fitness is becoming a power player in the events business. Within the last couple of years, the company has gone from sponsoring to owning and operating hundreds of cycling,...