NFL License Chief Tackles Fashion Conundrum; Nike Sets WWC Ads

Brandweek, May 3, 1999 by Terry Lefton

Recapturing the fashion customer who helped the licensing business boom in the early '90s is key on the agenda of NFL licensing chief Chuck Zona. So what's a licensor to do? Zona and staff are giving fashion presentations to NFL apparel licensees' design and sales teams in an attempt to influence their product up front and reclaim floor space lost to brands with more urban chic. "We want people to see that the NFL wants to push more toward fashion," Zona said in his first interview. "They'll have more flexibility to go a little left and right on the fashion scale." He's also pursuing private label and Internet sales initiatives.

Turns out what induced the NFL to re-sign with USA Home Entertainment (formerly Polygram Video) as its home video licensee had less to do with video and more to do with an entertainment alliance. Packaged with its three-year deal was a side agreement with Universal Music to supply the NFL with tunes for use in its shoulder programming. Also in the mix, though not necessarily producing anything tangible yet, are such media holdings of USA head Barry Diller as Home Shopping Network, USA Network and Lycos. "We looked at home video as a small part of the whole deal," said NFL vp-programming John Collins. As an example of some of the in-house synergy ahead, Bill Sondheim, president of USA Home Entertainment, said his company will tap into the database of sister company Ticketmaster to determine likely suspects for sports video sales.

Nike, "official ambusher" of the upcoming Women's World Cup, is readying two ads to break in late May from Goodby, Silverstein, S.F., in support of its U.S. soccer team sponsorship. The spots include five Nike athletes on the U.S. team: Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain, Tisha Venturini, Briana Scurry and Tiffeny Milbret demonstrating the quintet's penchant for teamwork. In one ad, all of them accompany Venturini on a date; another has the group visiting a dentist and volunteering to join Chastain in having a tooth extracted. An accompanying retail program pushing Hamm-branded shoe and related apparel hits 200 soccer specialty retailers, 119 Finish Line stores and 100 other storefronts in late May. The U.S. team is in the midst of a nine-game warmup tour, entitled by Nike. Adidas, official footwear/apparel sponsor for the tournament, has a four-spot package to be shown in tournament telecasts with U.S. team members Kristine Lilly and Shannon MacMillan, Sun Wen of China, and Silke Rottenberg of Germany.

Looking to push ticket sales and adopt an identity other than that of 37-year-old quarterback Dan Marino, the Miami Dolphins have hired an ad agency for the first time. The Ad Team, North Miami, Fla., gets the assignment of creating a campaign featuring the Dolphins' younger stars. "A whole new breed of Dolphin" is one theme under consideration. Aside from building ticket sales now, the team hopes that boosting its younger stars will avoid the kind of precipitous season-ticket sales decline that occurred in Buffalo, N.Y., after the Bills' Jim Kelly's retirement. Ads will run in barter and purchased time.

Circle K176 in-house promo shop Tosco Marketing, Phoenix, is using the lure of big league autographs in what is probably the biggest promo of its kind. The first 10,000 fans entering the Houston Astros at Arizona Diamondbacks game July 11 get 8-by-l0-in. photos with actual autographs of Diamondbacks Andy Fox, Damian Miller and Brian Anderson, plus some Randy Johnson autographed photos as a kind of "chase card," and a coupon bouncing consumers back to Circle K/76. Alliance Consulting, Conshohocken, Pa, secured player rights and produced the premiums.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Chris Chandler and Buffalo Bills signal caller Doug Flutie have signed with NFL Properties' Quarterback Club cartel of players. Meanwhile, top NFL draft pick Tim Couch has opted not to join the QB Club, signing with the Players Inc. marketing arm of the NFL Players Association. Last year, the club signed top QB draftees Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf.

Advertisers signed for the NFL's Insider magazine launching in September include NFL corporate sponsors Anheuser-Busch, Coke, Gallo, Gatorade, Miller, Visa, Nike, DirecTV and RCA, plus non-NFL corporate sponsors National Fluid Milk Processors Promotion Board ("Got Milk?"), Fox Sports, Heineken, Interstate Battery, Comedy Central, Mercedes, Pfizer, Polo/Ralph Lauren and Union Bay.