T
TonyB
Guest
From a NASCAR PR...
The Daytona 500, one of the largest and most-watched sporting events of the year, is more than just NASCAR’s richest and most prestigious race. It is a television event used by some of America’s largest and most successful companies to launch new advertising campaigns. In 2002, 35 million viewers watched all or part of NBC’s coverage, a record in the race’s 24-year broadcast history. NBC will again broadcast the 46th annual Daytona 500 live on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 12:00noon/et, with approximately 200,000 spectators expected to attend the race at Daytona International Speedway. Following are several companies’ high-profile advertising plans for reaching the sporting world’s most brand-conscious fans tuned in to “The Great American Race”:
· Nextel Communications Inc., continues its first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series ad campaign with two new spots showing fans using their Nextel phones with digital walkie-talkie Direct ConnectÒ, often with humorous consequences. In one ad, fans “Direct Connect” each other to embellish the truth and shorten a very long concession line. A second spot shows friends in the racetrack’s RV park using Direct Connect to navigate through the masses. Nextel will run three other spots that debuted in the weeks leading up to the Daytona 500. One spot, featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr. scoring an NFL touchdown – in his race car – was rated one of the best ads from this year’s Super Bowl broadcast.
· UPS will air two new spots to launch this year’s Race the Truck ad campaign, in which Dale Jarrett, driver of the No. 88 UPS Ford, receives "proper training” from UPS drivers about what it takes to drive the big, brown truck. In "Safety," a UPS driver asks if Jarrett has ever had any accidents driving his UPS vehicle. In "Yoga,"Jarrett finds himself in entirely new positions. UPS will also air three more humorous spots featuring Jarrett during the 2004 season.
· ExxonMobil will run a new commercial promoting the “Mobil 1 Million,” a consumer promotion in which one lucky fan can win a total of $1 million by predicting the winners of all 36 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races in 2004.
· AOL will advance its new campaign for the company’s TopSpeed technology with a new spot featuring NASCAR team owner Richard Childress. AOL will also carry a special Daytona 500 Advertising Poll on AOL.com. AOL members will log on to vote for their favorite commercial, selecting one of 12 spots from the Daytona 500.
· NAPA AUTO PARTS will air two new spots featuring Michael Waltrip, driver of the No. 15 NAPA Chevrolet and the defending champion of the Daytona 500, and his DEI teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. The new commercials will run throughout the NASCAR season with a third spot to be introduced in the spring.
· The Gillette Company will break a new NASCAR-themed commercial for its Duracell battery brand during the Great American Race. Gillette aired two spots for the “Gillette Young Guns” during the Budweiser Shootout on Feb. 7. The Gillette Young Guns are Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman.
· Coca-Cola will take a lighthearted look at NASCAR drivers’ competitive nature in a spot called “To the Victor.” NASCAR stars in the Coca-Cola Racing Family – including Tony Stewart, Bobby Labonte, Dale Jarrett, Kurt Busch, Kyle Petty, Michael Waltrip and Kevin Harvick – heatedly race remote controlled cars for an ice-cold Coke. A 60-second version of the spot will be shown in movie theaters across the country this spring.
· ChevronTexaco will air a new TV spot for its Havoline brand that uses historical footage to celebrate the brand’s 100th anniversary. Texaco/Havoline is in its 18th year as a sponsor of NASCAR’s premier national series and currently sponsors the No. 42 Dodge driven by Jamie McMurray, the 2003 Raybestos Rookie of the Year.
· Visa is again this season giving its cardholders a chance to win the Visa Ultimate NASCAR Experience in 2004 with a new spot. Ten winners will receive the NASCAR “weekend of a lifetime.” More details are available at www.visa.com/nascar.
· Anheuser-Busch, the Official Beer of NASCAR, will be showcasing its new 2004 creative, starring Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet. The company is running eight ads in the race, including two NASCAR-themed spots.
· Toyota: Three-time NASCAR champion and new Toyota team owner Darrell Waltrip will star in a series of TV, print and radio ads beginning with the Daytona 500. The TV spots will run during other sporting events including NBA and NCAA basketball games. Waltrip is expected to drive the No. 11 Toyota Tundra in three races this year.
· Lowe's is debuting a 60-second spot featuring Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet. The ad ties the passion Lowe's has for helping its customers with home improvement projects with the passions fans have for racing. It is also intended to reflect Lowe's long-term commitment to the sport while showcasing the new "face" of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing.
· NASCAR is launching its own new image advertising campaign – the story of a fantasy race where, through computer wizardry, the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time compete against the stars of today. The first of six TV spots in the campaign, called “Timeless,” will debut during the Daytona 500. The campaign, developed by The Martin Agency, features archive film and audio of NASCAR heroes of the past blended with images of hard-charging champions of today – all set to Boston’s classic rock ballad “Long Time.”
Other strong supporters of NASCAR that will advertise during the race include Domino’s with a spot for Cheesy Domino’s Dots and Ford, with the Ford GT 60-second commercial which debuted in the Super Bowl kickoff show.
The Daytona 500, one of the largest and most-watched sporting events of the year, is more than just NASCAR’s richest and most prestigious race. It is a television event used by some of America’s largest and most successful companies to launch new advertising campaigns. In 2002, 35 million viewers watched all or part of NBC’s coverage, a record in the race’s 24-year broadcast history. NBC will again broadcast the 46th annual Daytona 500 live on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 12:00noon/et, with approximately 200,000 spectators expected to attend the race at Daytona International Speedway. Following are several companies’ high-profile advertising plans for reaching the sporting world’s most brand-conscious fans tuned in to “The Great American Race”:
· Nextel Communications Inc., continues its first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series ad campaign with two new spots showing fans using their Nextel phones with digital walkie-talkie Direct ConnectÒ, often with humorous consequences. In one ad, fans “Direct Connect” each other to embellish the truth and shorten a very long concession line. A second spot shows friends in the racetrack’s RV park using Direct Connect to navigate through the masses. Nextel will run three other spots that debuted in the weeks leading up to the Daytona 500. One spot, featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr. scoring an NFL touchdown – in his race car – was rated one of the best ads from this year’s Super Bowl broadcast.
· UPS will air two new spots to launch this year’s Race the Truck ad campaign, in which Dale Jarrett, driver of the No. 88 UPS Ford, receives "proper training” from UPS drivers about what it takes to drive the big, brown truck. In "Safety," a UPS driver asks if Jarrett has ever had any accidents driving his UPS vehicle. In "Yoga,"Jarrett finds himself in entirely new positions. UPS will also air three more humorous spots featuring Jarrett during the 2004 season.
· ExxonMobil will run a new commercial promoting the “Mobil 1 Million,” a consumer promotion in which one lucky fan can win a total of $1 million by predicting the winners of all 36 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races in 2004.
· AOL will advance its new campaign for the company’s TopSpeed technology with a new spot featuring NASCAR team owner Richard Childress. AOL will also carry a special Daytona 500 Advertising Poll on AOL.com. AOL members will log on to vote for their favorite commercial, selecting one of 12 spots from the Daytona 500.
· NAPA AUTO PARTS will air two new spots featuring Michael Waltrip, driver of the No. 15 NAPA Chevrolet and the defending champion of the Daytona 500, and his DEI teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. The new commercials will run throughout the NASCAR season with a third spot to be introduced in the spring.
· The Gillette Company will break a new NASCAR-themed commercial for its Duracell battery brand during the Great American Race. Gillette aired two spots for the “Gillette Young Guns” during the Budweiser Shootout on Feb. 7. The Gillette Young Guns are Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman.
· Coca-Cola will take a lighthearted look at NASCAR drivers’ competitive nature in a spot called “To the Victor.” NASCAR stars in the Coca-Cola Racing Family – including Tony Stewart, Bobby Labonte, Dale Jarrett, Kurt Busch, Kyle Petty, Michael Waltrip and Kevin Harvick – heatedly race remote controlled cars for an ice-cold Coke. A 60-second version of the spot will be shown in movie theaters across the country this spring.
· ChevronTexaco will air a new TV spot for its Havoline brand that uses historical footage to celebrate the brand’s 100th anniversary. Texaco/Havoline is in its 18th year as a sponsor of NASCAR’s premier national series and currently sponsors the No. 42 Dodge driven by Jamie McMurray, the 2003 Raybestos Rookie of the Year.
· Visa is again this season giving its cardholders a chance to win the Visa Ultimate NASCAR Experience in 2004 with a new spot. Ten winners will receive the NASCAR “weekend of a lifetime.” More details are available at www.visa.com/nascar.
· Anheuser-Busch, the Official Beer of NASCAR, will be showcasing its new 2004 creative, starring Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet. The company is running eight ads in the race, including two NASCAR-themed spots.
· Toyota: Three-time NASCAR champion and new Toyota team owner Darrell Waltrip will star in a series of TV, print and radio ads beginning with the Daytona 500. The TV spots will run during other sporting events including NBA and NCAA basketball games. Waltrip is expected to drive the No. 11 Toyota Tundra in three races this year.
· Lowe's is debuting a 60-second spot featuring Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet. The ad ties the passion Lowe's has for helping its customers with home improvement projects with the passions fans have for racing. It is also intended to reflect Lowe's long-term commitment to the sport while showcasing the new "face" of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing.
· NASCAR is launching its own new image advertising campaign – the story of a fantasy race where, through computer wizardry, the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time compete against the stars of today. The first of six TV spots in the campaign, called “Timeless,” will debut during the Daytona 500. The campaign, developed by The Martin Agency, features archive film and audio of NASCAR heroes of the past blended with images of hard-charging champions of today – all set to Boston’s classic rock ballad “Long Time.”
Other strong supporters of NASCAR that will advertise during the race include Domino’s with a spot for Cheesy Domino’s Dots and Ford, with the Ford GT 60-second commercial which debuted in the Super Bowl kickoff show.
