Turns Out, In Germany You Can Sponsor A Weather System
Here's something you don't see every day -- weather sponsorship. Not the kind where you see a tourism destination sponsoring the latest WeatherBug app. Nope, in Germany you can actually rename a high or low pressure system after your brand. The Institute for Meteorology at the Free University (FU) in Berlin runs an "Adopt-a-Vortex" sponsorship program that allows businesses to rename the systems, of which there are about 50 Highs and about 150 Lows each year. The rules for sponsorship can be found here.
The problem is, that as most know weather is still largely unpredictable. German ad agency, Sassenbach, is learning the hard way it seems. After reportedly looking for a "wind-and weather-proof" sponsorship idea for its client, BMW, the agency negotiated an agreement for the most recent high pressure system to be renamed "Cooper" after its Mini Cooper. Tragically, Cooper's cold front has so far killed more than 70 people in Poland and Ukraine as temps have reached as low as -33C.
It seems sponsors would rather be associated with high pressure systems than lower pressure ones. High pressure sponsorship goes for about $400, while low pressure systems can be had for under $300.
BMW will try its hand at a low pressure system later this year named Mini.
