T
TonyB
Guest
Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal
Wal-Mart shoppers will be able to race radio-controlled stock cars in the toy departments of 3,100 stores for one day in February as the centerpiece of a Fan Days program that NASCAR will run with the world's largest retailer as a lead-in to next year's Daytona 500.
The NASCAR-licensed cars will run on tracks built using the products of sponsors and licensees that tie in to the program, with as many as 10 brands, including Coca-Cola, expected to participate.
NASCAR Fan Days will run from Feb. 1 through Feb. 22, with participating brands receiving prime placement and point-of-sale support throughout the three-week span. The "retailtainment" event, slotted for Feb. 7, will include radio-controlled car racing and NASCAR-themed programming on Wal-Mart's in-store television and radio networks.
NASCAR and Wal-Mart are discussing a "presented by" sponsorship with Gillette-owned battery brand Duracell, according to sports marketing sources. Gillette recently signed on as a NASCAR sponsor in multiple categories, including alkaline batteries.
NASCAR and Wal-Mart declined comment on the program. Financial details were unavailable.
This will be the fourth consecutive year in which NASCAR ties to Wal-Mart for a Fan Days promotion, but the first time that the two hook up on anything as extensive and attention-grabbing as in-store racing.
Last year's promotion, which was the first that was timed to coincide with NASCAR's jewel event, was headlined by a photo booth that featured driver stand-ups. It included seven sponsor brands: Eastman Kodak, Coca-Cola, Kellogg, Energizer, Solo and the Kraft-Nabisco brands Oreo and Planters. Licensees included apparel-maker VF Wrangler and Wincraft, which makes products ranging from pennants to pencils.
NASCAR is the only sports property that has landed space for a national retail promotion at Wal-Mart, which typically ties to entertainment properties for its in-store platforms. Among those featured in recent months: Nickelodeon hit "SpongeBob SquarePants," Scholastic Entertainment Inc.'s "Clifford the Big Red Dog," Walt Disney Co.'s "Kim Possible" and Universal's "Cat in the Hat."
Wal-Mart shoppers will be able to race radio-controlled stock cars in the toy departments of 3,100 stores for one day in February as the centerpiece of a Fan Days program that NASCAR will run with the world's largest retailer as a lead-in to next year's Daytona 500.
The NASCAR-licensed cars will run on tracks built using the products of sponsors and licensees that tie in to the program, with as many as 10 brands, including Coca-Cola, expected to participate.
NASCAR Fan Days will run from Feb. 1 through Feb. 22, with participating brands receiving prime placement and point-of-sale support throughout the three-week span. The "retailtainment" event, slotted for Feb. 7, will include radio-controlled car racing and NASCAR-themed programming on Wal-Mart's in-store television and radio networks.
NASCAR and Wal-Mart are discussing a "presented by" sponsorship with Gillette-owned battery brand Duracell, according to sports marketing sources. Gillette recently signed on as a NASCAR sponsor in multiple categories, including alkaline batteries.
NASCAR and Wal-Mart declined comment on the program. Financial details were unavailable.
This will be the fourth consecutive year in which NASCAR ties to Wal-Mart for a Fan Days promotion, but the first time that the two hook up on anything as extensive and attention-grabbing as in-store racing.
Last year's promotion, which was the first that was timed to coincide with NASCAR's jewel event, was headlined by a photo booth that featured driver stand-ups. It included seven sponsor brands: Eastman Kodak, Coca-Cola, Kellogg, Energizer, Solo and the Kraft-Nabisco brands Oreo and Planters. Licensees included apparel-maker VF Wrangler and Wincraft, which makes products ranging from pennants to pencils.
NASCAR is the only sports property that has landed space for a national retail promotion at Wal-Mart, which typically ties to entertainment properties for its in-store platforms. Among those featured in recent months: Nickelodeon hit "SpongeBob SquarePants," Scholastic Entertainment Inc.'s "Clifford the Big Red Dog," Walt Disney Co.'s "Kim Possible" and Universal's "Cat in the Hat."