The name game

South Florida CEO, August, 2004 by Barbara Perkins

DHL has signed a marketing pact with the Miami Dolphins that will plaster the global delivery carrier's name all over Pro Player stadium--at least it will part of the time. Under the terms of the agreement, Plantation-based DHL is now "the official express delivery provider" for the National Football League franchise and the stadium it plays in. DHL's logos will be on the stadium's main scoreboard, gate entrances and parking entrances, as well as at the Dolphins training facility in Davie. But come January, the logos will be hidden during the national college Bowl Championship Series. Memphis-based rival FedEx Corp., a major sponsor of the Orange Bowl, exercised its non-compete clause, forcing the blackout of the DHL logo during the game. Neither company would comment on the move. There is no word on whether apparel maker Perry Ellis, whose ProPlayer brand continues to enjoy free publicity from the stadium's name, will be the official provider of black fabric to cover the logo.

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