Media Post had a nice piece today on Campbell's “adjustment” of their brand strategy this week in going with one athlete…San Diego Chargers star LaDainian Tomlinson, as they look to re-jig their Chunky Soup campaign. The choice to go to LT's preparation to play and tie with fitness is a departure from the popular “Mamma's Family” campaign that made the brand so popula.by using a host of athletes like Donovan McNabb and others. It also makes sense to have the brand speak directly to healthy lifestyle, with a pre-season launch when kids are going back to school and many people start letting go of their summer fitness routines. Also, focusing on Tomlinson, one of the NFL's best but still not one of the NFL's greatest exposed athletes (especially on the East Coast. is also another smart move. The shotgun approach of multiple athletes does give you a few more choices and safeguards against the injury issue for one guy, but in the end stars do shine, and making LT their guy in a multilevel campaign seems to make really good sense.
Some other good pieces to check out…the Washington Post had a good brand activation and placement piece this week on the DC United's signing of Volkswagen as their jersey sponsor…with the United joining the list of MLS teams with lucrative jersey sponsors that are tied directly to activation programs, will be interesting to see if/when other professional American teams, especially leagues like the WNBA, may follow along. MLS is clearing the way for acceptablility in the area at a key time…a good example of exposing not just the athletes personalities, but the others involved in the daily workings of a sports brand comes from the PBR, where the Great Falls Tribune recently did a good personality piece on clown Flint Rasmussen, his routine and how he became one of the key figures of the circuit…also, check out Brian Berger's Sports Business radio for a good q and a with NBA Commissioner David Stern, as well as a host of other in depth archived pieces…good place for background and research for students…lastly, industry vet Tom Umstead at Multichannel News has begun doing more pieces via video to supplant his print work…check out the piece he did this week with IFL head and former Showtime exec. Jay Larkin…another good opportunity for those looking to get execs exposed via new media.
