Looking to a Sneaker for a Band's Big Break

RIGHT now it is just a shell, the peeling remnant of an old dry cleaner on a graffiti-covered block in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. But soon the 5,200-square-foot space will be transformed into a sleek new recording studio in the heart of the underground-rock capital. And in the latest twist in pop’s relationship with Madison Avenue, the struggling bands making music there will already...

Purina Launches "Everyday Dog" Contest in Activation of Nat'l Dog Show

"After years of living in the shadows of his blue blood brothers who strut on the blue carpet at the National Dog Show Presented by Purina, the everyday dog finally has his day," according to the Purina PR folks. Nestle Purina PetCare is conducting the first online "Petcentric Dog Show Photo Contest" to honor everyday dogs, their unique looks and their special talents. Throughout November an...

Amtrak, Devils Sign 3-Year Deal for Acela Club

Prudential Center announced today that the arena’s premium service restaurant will now be known as the Acela Club, as a part of a new 3-year Amtrak sponsorship with the arena. Source Communications, Amtrak’s sports marketing agency of record since 2001, worked with Devils Arena Entertainment to develop this partnership. The Acela Club will be open to all ticketholders during New Jersey Devils...

The Lakers Now Have "Official Wings"

The Los Angeles Lakers have their wings. Wingstop has announced that it will be the Official Wings of The Los Angeles Lakers in a three-year agreement that gives the wings franchise the right to use the undefeated and defending NBA champions name and logo in ad and promotional materials. The 600 location chicken wing chain, which was founded in 1994, says it has sold over 2 Billion wings in th...

The Most Important Brand: Yours

The SP Soapbox Series features expert "in the wild" commentary from leaders in the field of sponsorship. To have your commentary featured here, email your request to info@sponsorpitch.com. The Soapbox Series is supported by Brand Affinity Technologies new netBAT network for celebrity and sports publishers. Get free celeb content and earn ad revenue with netBAT. Sign up now! We know that sp...

Chicago Transit Authority to Sell Naming Rights to Stations, Routes

CTA President Richard Rodriguez announced Wednesday that the perennially underfunded transit agency will go out for bids soon to sell naming rights to just about anything it owns and for which others are willing to pay big money in exchange for the public exposure. That includes rail lines and stations, bus routes, retail concessions, and special events. Even the venerable CTA logo will be on ...

Walmart Becomes Lead Sponsor of New York Veterans Day Parade

Walmart, which is considering opening its first store in New York City, will be the leading sponsor for today's New York City Veterans Day Parade, WNYC's Ilya Marritz reports. Marritz says Walmart paid $100,000 to become the parade's lead sponsor and as part of the deal company executives will join the procession. Other parade sponsors include U-Haul, HBO, NBC and the History Channel.

Panasonic Sponsors World Heart Day to Support Launch of Panasonic Healthcare

Panasonic, has become a corporate sponsor of the 2011 World Heart Day taking place on September 29, 2011. World Heart Day, created by the World Heart Federation was first celebrated in 2000 and was created to inform people around the world about the risks of heart disease and stroke. "We are thrilled to welcome Panasonic, as a new sponsor of World Heart Day in 2011, said Kathryn Taubert, Sen...

Automakers Muscling Into Extreme Sports

“If you think you’re going through hell, keep going!” That’s a popular sign held by supporters at endurance sports events such as this fall’s Ford Ironman Florida and the New York City Marathon, exhorting competitors to persevere. Big car companies are hoping that the camaraderie forged by the hellish fires of these competitions applies not only to competitors, but also to companies that suppo...

Puma Scores With WPS Breast Cancer Campaign

SP's Activation Tactic of the Week Series is supported by social media solutions provider, KickApps. Create Custom Widgets, Grow & Engage Your Audience. Free Sign Up! During the month of October, Puma supported Breast Cancer Awareness Month by leveraging its sports affiliations to drive awareness and donations for breast cancer research. Puma created a Project Pink campaign, supported...