Advantage Ford: Lincoln Hits USTA Net for $20M

Brandweek, April 17, 2000 by Terry Lefton

Ford's Lincoln brand has signed a five-year deal with the U.S. Tennis Association making it the official vehicle of the U.S. Open. The top-level "corporate champion" package also includes presenting sponsorship of the men's singles championships and net-post signage during men's singles events at the Open, marking the first time either has been sold.

The package is a rare venture into big-time sports sponsorships for Lincoln and the first manifestation of its new "American Luxury" positioning, which asserts that stateside concepts of automotive luxury are distinct from those offered by its Japanese and European luxury rivals.

Trying to showcase that experience, Ford will underwrite a "Lincoln American Luxury Pavilion" at the National Tennis Center in New York. Industry sources put the deal in excess of $20 million, not including a U.S. Open ad buy with tournament broadcasters USA and CBS, where Lincoln will repeat last year's purchase of domestic auto exclusivity.

Ford agency Young & Rubicam, Irvine, Calif., will develop tennis-themed print and TV for the Open, using the "American Luxury" positioning. Lincoln will also become entrenched in the USTA's various grass roots tennis programs, including a presenting sponsorship of USA League Tennis, that would make it the biggest sponsor of grass roots tennis in the world.

Lincoln will also provide some 100 cars for shuttling players and officials around during the Open. Infiniti, a U.S. Open sponsor for the past 11 years, bowed out last year after increasing financial pressures on parent Nissan. The Lincoln deal continues the USTA's success in a rather lackluster sports sponsorship environment, a tribute to the power of the U.S. Open as both a marketing platform and a powerful hospitality tool.

Even with an indifferent appetite for tennis nationwide, the U.S. Open has juiced sponsorship revenue from $15 million to $36 million over the past five years, under marketing director Pierce O'Neil.

"We've established the unique value of the property at a time when tennis [overall] is not as hot as it has been, so we're happy with that. Now we're looking for more ways to add value to sponsors," he said. One project in the works is an adult concert the second Friday of the Open to match a kids/teen concert that precedes the tourney.

The envelope please: Outgoing NFL Properties prez Sara Levinson's new dot.com job is with... Clubmom.com, a site trying to build an Internet community out of what it describes as the "most rewarding, most challenging, most important, and often least-respected job in the world," being a mom.Tag line: "If you're a mom, you're a member."

Levinson, who joined NFLP from MTV 5.5 years ago--and is herself a mother--will officially join the Web startup as CEO within a month. Other notable NFL alums in e-media include Neil Austrian, now at iWon.com. Meanwhile, the long-rumored reorg at the NFL that will meld the league and its properties unit is due shortly.

Elsewhere, Home Shopping Network is close to replacing nine-year NFL TV shopping partner QVC as the league's exclusive TV shopping outlet. NFLP marketing evp Howard Handler said HSN promised better service and attention for hot market opportunities, important at a time when it's often "hot market or no market," for licensed goods. The NBA struck a similar deal with HSN and the USA net earlier this year.

Extra Innings: After being hired with some fanfare, former Women's World Cup president/CEO Marla Messing has exited Broadband Sports after two months as vp-partner marketing. Sources said Messing wanted to spend more time at home. She'll still consult for the Internet sports content site ... Former NHL and Olympic licensing chief Fred Scalera is now consulting full-time for Ebbets Field Flannels, Seattle, (ebbets.com) as the high-end nostalgic licensed apparel marketer looks to expand its product and distribution channels ... Mike Levine to Sportscapsule.com as vp-business development. Levine, best known for representing ESPN's Chris Berman, was with SFX Sports and its predecessors for seven years ... Octagon's John Griffin moves to svp at Clarion Marketing, Greenwich, Coon., where he'll try to rebuild a sports marketing practice largely gutted by the defection of a core group that formed Velocity Sports & Entertainment in Westport, Coon., last year ... Exec Dave Mosca of PSP Sports Marketing to Axa Financial Advisors, N.Y.