December 10, 2009
Sponsorships
So everyone’s talking about the Tiger SNL skit, but I want to talk about a different one. The setting was a women’s bowling tournament in the 80s and had a clueless color analyst and a play by play guy who was trying his best to not take swipes at the women, dealing with an unqualified co-host, and more hilariously try to get in a few words about the sponsor – Vagisil. and this got me thinking how Tampax, Always, Vagisil, Midol, Cover Girl, Nair etc. should get into sponsorship with the W. Those are the products that A. players would love free samples from and B. I think it would be so funny if during a press conference says something like “Well I played well tonight because Midol made all my PMS symptoms disappear.” Though this plan might back fire and drive guys away, it could also draw new female viewers in, have players go on “The View” and give away free product samples. Free tickets aren’t the best promotion because fans to pay for gas, parking, food etc, but if we give away free samples of Secrete or shaving cream and have a players face on the product, then whenever the see the product they’ll see the face, and maybe eventually they’ll want to see this player play.
Speaking of sponsership I was thinking about, say Boston were to get a team – would the league allow them to be sponsered by Sam Adams the “Boston Sammies” – probably not after the Diana DUI thing – or we could do two sponsers in one shot, drink Sam Adams but let the MBTA take you safely home. But the safer sponsor would be Gillette Venus – could be the boston razors “We will cut you!!” or “Our silky smooth jumpshots are so match for our silky smooth legs.” – if Matt Ryan can shaving cream then I’m sure Candace Parker could (wasn’t she supposed to be a Cover Girl – I thought I heard that a few years ago.)
Also wouldn’t it have been awesome if instead of a tiny stake in the Miami Dolphins if Venus ans Serena became partial owners of a WNBA team instead. And not just them all the other Girl power celebraties. How come Rosie O’Donnell hasn’t become part owner of the Liberty – has she stopped supporting the leauge, she used to have them on her show. I think is this age of celebratiy worship one or two celebraty endorsments (not NBA players – like Ellen Degeneres or the Kardashians) would go along way.
While we’re kind of on the subject of increasing popularity/visibility, we need a player to sleep with a semi-celebrity and have a sex tape leaked, I know we as a society think we’re above this, and we as WNBA fans would be embarrassed – but seriously, it worked out good for Kim Kardashian – and her sisters. Worked for Paris Hilton, funny that it works out better for the females involved. We need a little controversy so a player can appear on the Today show and Larry King Live. Sorry I believe in the any press is good press philosophy. And maybe that player would get their own reality show. I heard that Shaq’s Ex is producing a new one about NBA wives/baby-mama’s. I’m thinking its going to be a not-so-flattering look into NBA players lives, I would think that if a WNBA player got one it wouldn’t have so much drama, mostly because there’s not as much moeny and kids involved but it could still have potential.
