Eyeing Nascar's Prosperity, Drag Racers Tap Integer as Agency

Brandweek, July 19, 1999 by Terry Lefton

Continuing its recent moves to outsource much of its marketing, the National Hot Rod Association has hired the Dallas office of Integer Group as its new integrated agency.

Integer picks up a broad range of assignments including advertising, promotions, branding, positioning, assisting current sponsors and beefing up the overall sponsorship roster, both by attracting new sponsors and encouraging incumbents like Anheuser-Busch, Century 21 and MBNA to be more active.

"Drag racing is really a part of Americana and, relative to other motor spots, is uncluttered from a sponsorship perspective," said NHRA marketing vp Gary Darcy. "So we think there's a lot of potential."

Like other motorsports circuits, the NHRA has carefully watched the remarkable rise in revenues and popularity of Nascar in recent years and is reshuffling its marketing deck in an attempt to get some ot the sponsor funds that have long been allocated to team sports and now are going in part to Nascar and its tracks and drivers. Within the past four months, the NHRA has hired SFX to help land a new and more comprehensive TV deal, along with bringing on Hill & Knowlton, Irvine, Calif., as its new sports marketing and pr shop. NHRA also recently brought aboard its first director of sponsorship marketing.

Darcy said he expects to have work in the field from Integer by the fall. NHRA had a total media spend of less than $350,000 last year, per Competitive Media Reporting, but officials said they expected a multimillion-dollar ad campaign. First charge is a research project to determine NHRA's strengths and weaknesses as a property.

"We have great grassroots strength, which a lot of brands are looking for," said Darcy. "What we need to do is find a better way to develop our heroes and take our message to potential sponsors and fans; that should automatically grow the fan base."