Far be it from we of the marketing beat to poke fun at
sponsorships. After all, having an official brand is one hell of a lot less
risky than signing an official spokesperson (stuff can go wrong with those
folks; they might, like, light up a bong or something.) And doesn’t every auto race deserve its “official” brand of socket
wrench? Of course it does. The only problem is, like everything else in
marketing, a good idea is easily done to death. Case in point: The recent
announcement from that the musical “Guys and Dolls” now has an official
cocktail: The Dulce de Leche, made with Bacardi rum. A play about gamblers and
nightclub slag probably ought to
have an official drink, but it does beg the question: At what point is there so
much official swag that nobody knows, remembers or cares what goes with what?
Here’s just a small sample of some of the more abstruse official merch out
there:
• Defense – Official soap of Rocky Mountain Nationals youth
wrestling
• Arriva – Official socks of the Toronto Marathon
• Kabar – Official knife of the U.S. Marine Corps
• French’s – Official mustard of the new Yankee Stadium
• Mrs. T’s – Official peirogis of the “Locker Room” show on
Channel 15, Pittsburgh.
• MasterCraft – Official boat of the Dew Action Sports Tour
• Moonshot – Official bat of the Golden Stick Wiffleball
League
• Evian – Official water of the Palm Springs International
Film Society
• Right Guard – Official underarm deodorant of the NBA (and
they should know.)
• Lifestyles – Official condom of New York City (and it should know.)
—Posted by Robert Klara
