Who's on Beckham's Shirt?

Quick. Think. You've seen this image in all kinds of press. The front page of the Sun, the back page of the News of the World, the front cover of Sports Illustrated. So why can't you name the sponsor?

If you are in the industry, or a die hard Galaxy fan, you may know the answer, but a straw poll reveals that 9 out of 10 people can not tell you the sponsor's name. So much for the use of sports properties as mobile billboards. So much for extrapolated numbers of coverage. If ever there was an argument that the 'exposure' model of sports sponsorship is flawed, this is it.

You can almost imagine the board presentation. "Next year, the world's most famous footballer will be playing in a shirt with your brand on it. Your brand will be seen by millions of people around the world. If you were to pay for that kind of exposure at market rates, you would not be able to afford it... "

Unlike a billboard, which allows other images, associations, strap lines and messages to be conveyed in the time it takes to drive past on the motorway, a logo on a shirt is just that. There is no call to action. Just an implied endorsement of the participant. Without activation, the sponsorship is lost in the noise.

So how to do it properly? Well think of a sports property and then name their sponsor. If you can, then they are probably doing it right. In fact, some may have done such a good job that you may be thinking of a sponsor who hasn't been involved for several years.

Try it with the following examples: a) Tiger Woods, b) Roger Federer, c) Jeff Gordon, d) Kimi Raikkonen, e) Andrew 'Freddy' Flintoff, d) Manchester United.... Answers below.



Answers.
LA Galaxy Team Shirt Sponsor - Herbalife
a) Accenture, Nike, Gatorade.
b) Emmi, Gillette, Jura, Mercedes Benz, Nike
c) Dupont, Nicorette, Pepsi
d) Marlboro, Fiat, Shell, Martini
e) Vodafone, Barclays Capital, Woodworm
f) AIG, Nike