Value-in-Kind Sponsorship to the Masses

You don't have to convince us that long tail sponsorship can pay big dividends to creative marketers - or that video can bring a sponsorship opportunity to life in a way that gold, silver and bronze levels simply can't (shameless plug alert: we are the ONLY property/sponsor network that hosts pitch videos!). Thanks to creative shop, TBWA, fans of BC-based beer Okanagan Spring can submit a vide...

Deal Flow 8-19-2009

Aeroflot will be the official airline of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, pledging $100 million in money and services between 2009 and 2016. The Toronto International Film Festival has announced P&G Beauty and Skyy Vodka as official sponsors. Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment has signed MasterCard Canada as the title sponsor of the new Maple Leafs practice facility. Canada’s Olympic B...

Opportunity is Knocking. Will Anyone Answer?

The big news this week was the SEC’s release of its new media policy. This should not be confused with its “new media” policy. No, the SEC took steps to ensure it didn’t really have a “new media” policy, by essentially recoiling into the comfort zone that is the status quo, with its new media policy. Namely, it wants to protect the interests of its media partners and their advertisers, by ad...

Toyota Prius Partners with L.A. Freeways

Increasingly, we're seeing marketers recognizing that they can do good for both their brand and the public through thematically appropriate public-private partnerships. Yesterday Toyota and government officials unveiled a vivid roadside display made up of more than 20,000 live flowers, along the Pasadena Freeway (SR-110) in downtown Los Angeles with Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, officials fr...

Report: P&G Wrapping Up U.S.O.C. Deal

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that P&G is close to inking a deal with the U.S.O.C. that will allow them to put the Olympic rings to work on a wide range of P&G products for Vancouver 2010. This comes on the heels of the company's 13 brand deal with the NFL announced earlier this month and could be the biggest sponsorship to date for the U.S.O.C. Given the wide ranging demographic int...

Deal Flow 8-18-2009

The Breeders' Cup announced today that Dos Equis has agreed to become the official Beer sponsor of the 2008 Breeders' Cup World Championships. As part of the agreement, Dos Equis will have exclusive marketing rights on-site at Santa Anita Park for the 25th running of the Breeders' Cup World Championships to be held October 24-25, 2008. Women’s Professional Soccer and the U.S. Coast Guard annou...

AB&E Festival presented by Vanity and Charity

Brian McCollum of The Detroit Free Press today reports that Kid Rock has chipped in $20K in sponsor funds for Detroit's struggling Arts, Beats & Eats Festival on September 4-7th. Kid Rock's stage will be called the Made in Detroit Big Three Stage. Last month, the AB&E announced it would donate sponsorships to struggling automakers including Chrysler, Ford and General Motors. McCollu...

Monster Energy Crowdsources Music Sponsorship

At each stop throughout this summer's Crue Fest 2, Monster Energy has worked with local radio stations to bring some local flavor to the Monster Energy stage. Working with each local radio station, Monster Energy has allowed rock fans to choose a sixth, local act to join the stage with the five premiere bands currently on Tour. When the Tour wraps up its 30th and final stop on September 5th, fa...

How did State Farm Snag the Home Run Derby?

Ray Katz, Founder of Optimum Sports which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Omnicom Group, has been instrumental in the development of landmark sponsorships such as State Farm's sponsorship with MLB, Visa's NFL deal and many other high profile global deals. Katz recently sat down with Mark for this week's BrandCast. Katz describes how the landmark State Farm Home Run Derby came about, the role th...

Deal Flow 8-20-2009

The Buffalo Bills announced a new partnership agreement with SANYO. SANYO will be the official electronics and HDTV provider of the Buffalo Bills. American Airlines announced a three-year marketing partnership that establishes it as the official airline and official sponsor of the New England Patriots, the New England Revolution, and Gillette Stadium. Sprint Cup race at Dover International S...