Brand placement ON the athlete…its all about time and place…

May 15, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The actual “branding” of athletes in the U.S. continues to get more and more interest as the phyiscal surface for ads, from the playing surface with real and virtual ads to the NASCAR-like infusion, gets more filled.  MLS has certainly been the trailblazer in the American landscape with jersey branding (the latest being the VW deal with the DC United) and this week comes another step forward with McDonald’s being added to the front of select WNBA jerseys as part of a multitiered branding campaign.  The logo is certainly not overly intrusive but it is another step forward for an area in traditional American sport that has always been pristine, and if all goes well will move to other lucrative deals going forward.  Also on the branding front, some props should go out to the Phoenix Coyotes on their great sponsorship and logo placement of PGA Tour golfer Jeff Quinney.  The logo and the brand of the NHL team got amazing viewership this past week as Quinney finished third at the TPC.  Here a team took an unconventional step with a young athlete outside its sport and caught lightning in a bottle, with the timing and the placement for the logo paid a huge dividend.