UPDATE: Ralph Lauren has joined Speedo USA in announcing that it will no longer sponsor Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte. [More]
sponsorships
Bankruptcy Court Agrees To Let Sports Authority Out Of One Of Its Team Sponsorships
By 6.22.16
A sporting goods retailer that’s going out of business doesn’t need to plaster its name on billboards at sporting events, and that’s why Sports Authority would prefer to end its sponsorship contracts with various teams and to sell the naming rights to the arena where the Denver Broncos play. Most of those disputes over sponsorship contracts remain unresolved, but the former retailer and the reigning Super Bowl champions have come to an agreement over the sponsorship of the Broncos. [More]
Maria Sharapova & 6 Other Pro Athletes Who Blew Big Endorsement Deals Overnight
By 3.8.16 — Updated: 12.27.16
All over the world, sports fans set their heroes up on high pedestals. So when scandals hit, it’s a long way for professional athletes to fall, and they often lose lucrative endorsement deals on their way down. [More]
Macy’s Dumps Trump Over Controverial Comments, He Says It Was His Idea
By 7.1.15
What do a southern chef, the owner of a professional basketball team and a candidate in the 2016 presidential election have in common? They’ve all been ditched by brands, retailers and other companies after being accused of making racist comments. The latest addition to the list comes as Macy’s announced it would sever its decades-long relationship with businessman Donald Trump. [More]
PepsiCo Woos NBA Sponsorship Away From Coca-Cola After 29-Year Run
By 4.13.15
After staying married to Coca-Cola for almost 30 years, the National Basketball Association has decided to end the company’s official sponsorship of the league, and is running away with its rival PepsiCo instead. [More]
McDonald’s Will Pay SXSW Performers After All
By 3.11.15
Global fast-food mega-brand McDonald’s has gone digging behind its metaphorical couch cushions this week after negative music festival-related publicity. A band exposed the company’s plans to not pay artists invited to play in its showcase at the South by Southwest Music Festival, even though it had budgeted to distribute free McDonald’s food and drink. Now, in an unsurprising move, McDonald’s will pay the bands that play in its showcase. [More]
Paula Deen’s Upcoming Cookbook Chucked, Bringing Total Number Of Downed Deals To 12
By 7.1.13
At which point does a sponsorship meltdown become epic? Because we’re pretty close to calling the avalanche of dropped deals for Paula Deen branded merchandise epic right about now: Ballantine Books announced it’s canceling the publication of Paula Deen’s New Testament: 250 Favorite Recipes, All Lightened Up. It was to be a healthy rehashing of Deen’s recipes. That brings the total killed deals to 12. [More]
Virgin America Out To Bribe Twitter Whores With Free Flights
By 6.22.10
If your Twitter feed starts blowing up with effusive praise for Virgin America, it may be because the airline has influenced those sets of 140 characters with free flights. [More]
AT&T Drops Tiger Woods
By 12.31.09
AT&T ended its sponsorship of Tiger Woods today. As a driving force for the ditch, company sources cited “increased fraudulent activity” inside his pants. [BBC] [More]
Beware Buying Advice From Bloggers On The Take
By 7.13.09
As review blogs have emerged, seizing marketshare and mindshare away from traditional publications, it’s become the Wild West out there as far as journalistic ethics are concerned.
By 8.20.08
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NBC and General Mills are planning on launching a “Biggest Loser” line of food this fall. The idea of someone sitting at home watching that show while munching a “Biggest Loser” energy bar is deeply depressing. [Entertainment Marketing Letter]
Children’s ER Names Itself After Abercrombie & Fitch
By 7.11.06
Branding is everywhere, billboards, sky-writing and even in your pants (check the label, bub). Always seeking new ways to expand message penetration, companies have turned to sponsoring buildings, such as the Pepsi Center and Coors Field. The field of viable sports venues depleted, corporations have turned to the next killing field: hospitals!
