Hasta La Creative!

UPS inks Big Brown to marketing deal

UPS believes Big Brown is the complete package.

The shipping giant is trying to capitalize on Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown, whose minority owner named the horse in the company’s honor.

The company said Friday it has signed a marketing agreement with jockey Kent Desormeaux and Big Brown’s owners. UPS, also known as United Parcel Service, will be the exclusive marketing partner of the Big Brown team.

The deal calls for the company logo to be the sole corporate sponsor logo on Desormeaux’s racing pants during the Preakness Stakes on May 17 and the Belmont Stakes three weeks later.

Brown is the main color on UPS’ delivery trucks and the word and color are a focus of its advertising.

Interesting, I noticed this while watching (and losing money on) the Preakness, I have a nasty habit of rooting against favorites out of spite. It seems like a natural fit, Big Brown, and “What can Brown do for you?” Though if he doesn’t win the Triple Crown, it’s all for naught, and to do it that early in the process I guess gets the investment in while it’s small.

It just seems like a lot of money for little return. Will Big Brown be getting Whiteboard commercials (Jeff note: a campaign I like) or perhaps a testimonial commercial on how his feed is shipped?

Horses aren’t the most reliable athletes to put a company’s money into, but then again, a corporation putting money into a professional athlete is always a bit of a risk, as Nike has learned with Michael Vick. Maybe horses are smarter across the board since the money won’t go to their heads, and most horses don’t have a crew.

The irony here is that UPS has probably gotten more free advertising from the jokes by sports commentators, and never really had to put the money into actual sponsorship. I’ve heard at least four mentions on a variety of networks say “someone should sign that horse for a UPS deal.”

No word on how some below the radar sponsorship deals have worked out: Smith and Wesson for Eight Belles, and Elmer’s Glue for Barbaro

Technorati Tags: UPS, United Parcel Service, Big Brown, horse racing, making fun of dead horses

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — After months of speculation, WPP said today it has named Torrence Boone, former president of Digitas, Boston, CEO of the global agency it is building from the ground up to service its first client, Dell.

LONDON – Insurance giant Aviva has added advertising agency The Gate to its roster. The Gate will to handle above-the-line and digital marketing in both the B2B and B2C sectors.

LONDON – Heineken has renewed its contract with UEFA to sponsor the UEFA Champions League for another three years.

LONDON – Two TMN executive directors have made a £38.5m cash offer for the company, with funds advised by August Equity.

If you weren’t already skeeved out by Dov Charney and his racy (pedophilic?) American Apparel antics, you will after watching this CurrentTV Super News video

Benjamin Palmer, CEO of The Barbarian Group, has some intriguing things to say about branded content.

What makes a great show, game or film? Artistic merit, humanity, story, talent. These occasionally overlap with marketing demographic, industry sector and brand penetration, but more often than not, they do not. God, that’s sad. We’re sort of in denial about that, aren’t we? But I think perhaps it’s best that we accept it: Great art does not necessarily have a brand angle. So there’s going to be some compromise to make the content and the brand story align with each other, and if the brand is footing the bill, guess who’s going to win that argument every time?

I could respond in 100 different ways to this line of thinking. For one, what’s the C-word doing in there? Compromise will suck the life from the work. Every time.

Brands who want to play in this sphere simply need to stay out of the way. And the agency has to drill home the fact that content is not advertising. It’s a different game with its own set of ground rules.

In his closing paragraph Palmer does say we in the ad biz ought not wait around hoping Silicon Valley or the entertainment industry will solve this for us. So he does believe in content, but he wants to see it work harder for brands.

My desire is the exact opposite. I want to see brands work harder to align themselves with content. Content that their customers will seek out, spend time with and share with others.

LONDON – Bauer Advertising has secured cosmetic brand Veet to promote its new Red Carpet Glamour campaign.

LONDON – Matthew Dearden has been named marketing director for BT Retail’s Consumer division, reporting to John Petter, managing director of BT Consumer.

Also when you’re wet.

Advertising Agency: EURO RSCG, Germany
Via: Kuteev