Suzuki Drives For Heisman Glory - sponsorship of trophy part of plan to sell image - Brief Article

Automotive Industries, Nov, 1999 by Dale Jewett

Paul Homing, Barry Sanders, American Suzuki What do these names have in common, say you? Why, we say obviously, the Heisman Trophy. The first two won it. (1956, and '88 respectively) and the last one hopes to be this year's winner, thanks in part to its sponsorship of the coveted trophy, awarded annually to the outstanding player in college football. American Suzuki Corp. has signed an unprecedented multi-year $35 million marketing partnership with two Time Warner divisions -- Time Inc. and Turner Broadcasting. The intent is to increase Suzuki's brand awareness in America with the goal of pushing its annual U.S. auto sales to the 100,000 mark and beyond, ultimately owning 1% of the U.S. auto market.

Kicking off the campaign are a series of print ads running in Time, Entertainment Weekly, Life, People and Sports Illustrated, highlighting the history of the Heisman trophy along with profiles of the winners. The Suzuki name will also appear on a series of video vignettes on "Heisman Heroes" shown on CNN's "College Football Preview." And don't be surprised to see the Suzuki name showing up at your favorite collegiate home field. Suzuki will also sponsor the award dinner on Dec. 13 at the Marriott Marquis in New York