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TonyB
Guest
Daytona Beach News Journal
By KEN WILLIS
MY TWO CENTS
Last update: 11 February 2004
There was really nothing strange about it. Racers are famous for touting the virtues of their sponsor's product.
In that regard, Tina Gordon was no different than Jeff Gordon.
With one glaring exception, that is. Jeff Gordon's favorite prop is a Pepsi bottle.
Tuesday, before a press gathering to show off her truck's new paint job and tout her new benefactor, Tina Gordon was showing something off the Vassarette shelf.
Now, for those of you who rarely travel past the auto parts aisle or relaxed-fit jeans rack at the neighborhood department store, Vassarette is in the women's undergarment business.
Yep, right on cue, Gordon, a full-timer on NASCAR's Truck Series, pulled a bra from her uniform pocket and launched into the type of sales spiel you've heard from her regarding "Sticks and Stuff" furniture -- you know the ads, which she begins with "H'a, I'm Tina Gordon," sounding so much like one of the old "Hee Haw" girls.
"There are some days that women want a little bit of extra help there," said the personable Alabaman, showing off something Vassarette calls the "Hands Up" bra.
Need any more proof that times are a-changin' in the racin' world?
Well, just in case you were still in the dark, Gordon kept right on going.
"I would always cringe about wearing a push-up bra, because they're so uncomfortable," she said, receiving, amazingly, a few nods of agreement from the male-dominated media gathering. "But this bra, after I had tried it on and wore it, I wear it a lot now. It's very flattering. And it makes you feel very confident."
What happened? When did we go from "Treat your car to some STP . . ." to this?
POSTERS YES, HOODS NO
Well, you can bet NASCAR is wondering the same thing. And you can bet the Boys in Marketing are keeping an eye on things. If you get a look at Gordon's No. 13 Truck Series ride, you'll see the name Vassarette, along with the unique logo, plastered in the usual places. But that's likely all you'll see.
Accompanying Gordon on stage Tuesday were several posters of models posing in Vassarette-wear. Don't look for them on sheetmetal.
As recently as last November, NASCAR told car owner Jim Smith to add some paint to his No. 7's hood. Seems a promotional shot of Pam Anderson was missing a little something -- like clothes.
"I haven't heard of any controversy, but I would imagine that we're gonna be pretty conservative," said Andrew Giangola, NASCAR's director of consumer communications.
These are, after all, conservative times in the entertainment industry. Janet Jackson served to turn all forms of show biz into the Disney Channel, at least temporarily. The ripple affect will especially be felt by the tracks along the NASCAR circuit. Word is, tracks within the International Speedway Corporation family have been warned "not to let something like that happen" on their watch.
But as for undergarments, NASCAR is gung-ho -- to a point.
"Ironically, when we started talking with NASCAR, they were all over it," said Miles Bohannan, marketing director for Vassarette. "They thought it was just awesome. They loved the idea that it was a female brand."
Add the fact that it's being hyped by a female driver, and the Boys in Marketing might just double over in some sort of demographic shock.
"There are very few females in the sport," said Gordon, "so it's not like they can take this product to a male driver and have him promote the product for them."
No? Just wait a few years. At this point, Lord knows what's next.
By KEN WILLIS
MY TWO CENTS
Last update: 11 February 2004
There was really nothing strange about it. Racers are famous for touting the virtues of their sponsor's product.
In that regard, Tina Gordon was no different than Jeff Gordon.
With one glaring exception, that is. Jeff Gordon's favorite prop is a Pepsi bottle.
Tuesday, before a press gathering to show off her truck's new paint job and tout her new benefactor, Tina Gordon was showing something off the Vassarette shelf.
Now, for those of you who rarely travel past the auto parts aisle or relaxed-fit jeans rack at the neighborhood department store, Vassarette is in the women's undergarment business.
Yep, right on cue, Gordon, a full-timer on NASCAR's Truck Series, pulled a bra from her uniform pocket and launched into the type of sales spiel you've heard from her regarding "Sticks and Stuff" furniture -- you know the ads, which she begins with "H'a, I'm Tina Gordon," sounding so much like one of the old "Hee Haw" girls.
"There are some days that women want a little bit of extra help there," said the personable Alabaman, showing off something Vassarette calls the "Hands Up" bra.
Need any more proof that times are a-changin' in the racin' world?
Well, just in case you were still in the dark, Gordon kept right on going.
"I would always cringe about wearing a push-up bra, because they're so uncomfortable," she said, receiving, amazingly, a few nods of agreement from the male-dominated media gathering. "But this bra, after I had tried it on and wore it, I wear it a lot now. It's very flattering. And it makes you feel very confident."
What happened? When did we go from "Treat your car to some STP . . ." to this?
POSTERS YES, HOODS NO
Well, you can bet NASCAR is wondering the same thing. And you can bet the Boys in Marketing are keeping an eye on things. If you get a look at Gordon's No. 13 Truck Series ride, you'll see the name Vassarette, along with the unique logo, plastered in the usual places. But that's likely all you'll see.
Accompanying Gordon on stage Tuesday were several posters of models posing in Vassarette-wear. Don't look for them on sheetmetal.
As recently as last November, NASCAR told car owner Jim Smith to add some paint to his No. 7's hood. Seems a promotional shot of Pam Anderson was missing a little something -- like clothes.
"I haven't heard of any controversy, but I would imagine that we're gonna be pretty conservative," said Andrew Giangola, NASCAR's director of consumer communications.
These are, after all, conservative times in the entertainment industry. Janet Jackson served to turn all forms of show biz into the Disney Channel, at least temporarily. The ripple affect will especially be felt by the tracks along the NASCAR circuit. Word is, tracks within the International Speedway Corporation family have been warned "not to let something like that happen" on their watch.
But as for undergarments, NASCAR is gung-ho -- to a point.
"Ironically, when we started talking with NASCAR, they were all over it," said Miles Bohannan, marketing director for Vassarette. "They thought it was just awesome. They loved the idea that it was a female brand."
Add the fact that it's being hyped by a female driver, and the Boys in Marketing might just double over in some sort of demographic shock.
"There are very few females in the sport," said Gordon, "so it's not like they can take this product to a male driver and have him promote the product for them."
No? Just wait a few years. At this point, Lord knows what's next.
fergy!
with a promo like that ,hope there's more to come