As a die-hard Chicago Bears fan, this pains me to say, but I think the State Farm ad featuring Green Bay Packers tremendous quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, might just be the best use of a celebrity in a single commercial that I’ve ever seen.  A bold claim, I know.  Endorsement legend, Michael Jordan has appeared in countless memorable ads for Nike (“It’s Gotta Be the Shoes”), Gatorade (“Be Like Mike”) and McDonald’s (“Nothing But Net”).  Before the downfall, Tiger Woods was an endorsement juggernaut.  Personally, I believe the best work he was involved with was the Accenture print campaign.   Read the rest of this entry »

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I get it.  Eat or be eaten, or worse yet, left for dead.  That doesn’t mean I have to like it, nor does it mean that what is going on in the world of college athletic conferences is a good thing.

My beloved ACC has just added Syracuse and Pittsburgh to its roster pulling two Big East stalwarts from that now reeling conference.  Expectations are that the ACC is still on a buying binge with lots of potential interest.  The Pac-12’s Larry Scott, who along with Jim Delaney of the Big 10-and-then-some conference, have to date been the agenda setters.  And, they’ve had the muscle to be those guys.  The University of Texas flexed its muscles with its own network and has basically sent the future of the Big 12 into a tailspin. Read the rest of this entry »

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While the ruling by federal judge Susan Nelson Monday and subsequent refusal to grant a stay pending appeal by the NFL may have technically halted the lockout in the near term, the labor situation is far from over. And, just around the corner, we have another labor debate to look forward to with the NBA’s current deal set to expire on June 30th. NBA owners are looking for a significantly revised collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that shrinks the percentage of basketball-related income the players receive.

Honestly, this stuff will make your head spin so I don’t want to take too much time on the merits of the different sides’ positions. Lost in the drama is how labor strife affects corporate sponsors of the leagues and/or individual teams. Read the rest of this entry »

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“So many odd things about that Chrysler 200 ad I don’t know where to start. But, a very gutsy call.”

That is what I tweeted during a live Sports Business Daily Twitter panel on Super Bowl Sunday immediately following the airing of the two-minute Chrysler spot that featured rapper Eminem in a cameo.  I was rendered slack-jawed by the spot; I wasn’t sure what to think.  I did recognize that what Chrysler had put forth to the over 100 million viewers of the broadcast was something bold.

Over 50 ads appeared “in-game” during the Super Bowl XLV broadcast.  There was a full assortment of the typical cheap laughs: shots to the crotch , animal revenge, and male shallowness.  We were once again treated to poorly-acted titillation, heavily produced anthropomorphism, and a smorgasbord of celebrities, mostly from the music industry.  There were a few hardy chuckles; several winces, but only one real jaw-dropping moment.  That moment—two minutes actually—came in the third quarter of the game when the gritty images of downtown Detroit filled the screen. Read the rest of this entry »

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A television commerical produced by DEEP ALLIANCE MARKETING, in conjunction with NASCAR Media Group, for Chicagoland Speedway, debuted in midwestern markets during the airing of Sunday’s Daytona 500.  View the spot, entitled, “The Chase Starts Here.” 

Long-time Chicago Sun-Times advertising and media columnist got an advance peak at the spot and filed this report on the ad.  LEWIS LAZARE

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DEEP ALLIANCE MARKETING president, David Paro (@DEEPDavidParo), will be part of Sports Business Daily’s 5-member panel tweeting live during Super Bowl. The panel will be providing commentary on the ads in real time.   Other industry executives participating include, Brad Adgate of Horizon Media, former Kodak CMO, Jeffrey Hayzlett, Michael Jacobsen of Octagon First Call, and Momentum Worldwide CEO, Chris Weil.

Follow or join in the chat on Twitter using hashtag #sbdsb.

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Do you know who Bill Glass is?  If the name doesn’t ring a bell, his face certainly will.  He’s the seemingly ubiquitous actor that shows up in commercial after commercial for many top marketers.  Let me first say that I have nothing at all against Bill Glass.  In fact, I think he is tremendous in every ad he’s been cast in.  But, like they say in that ESPN Monday Night Countdown segment, C’MON MAN! Read the rest of this entry »

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With Bowl Season just finished, DEEP decided to take a closer look at this year’s games and their sponsors.  We examine a few problems with the current system and also highlight a few sponsors who we feel navigated the crowded field fairly well and made a solid connection.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Last week, one of sports’ all-time most amazing benchmarks of excellence was eclipsed when the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team won its 89^th straight game with a win over Florida State.  Even before the win was in the books, the debate was on as to whether or not this streak compared with the 88-game win streak by John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins in the early 1970s.

Regardless of where one falls on the debate, it’s impossible not to be impressed with what Geno Auriemma has done with the program at UConn.   The streak has helped shine a deserving light on women’s athletics.  Some in the press have argued that the record hasn’t gotten its due; that people don’t care enough about what should be a hailed as a major achievement.  Without taking a side in that argument, we’ll just say, they might have a point. Read the rest of this entry »

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Monday night, Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback, Michael Vick set the football (and fantasy football) world on fire by hanging six total touchdowns on the Washington Redskins. Vick was making throws that he didn’t even make in his “heyday” with the Atlanta Falcon. He was making decisions in the pocket that would rival the intelligence of Peyton Manning. He was doing everything that the world thought he might be able to do, but would likely never do after his run in with the law two years ago. Read the rest of this entry »

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