Promo - March 2008 - (Page 58)

“PROMO “PROMOLAND” BUT CAN HE BUNT? Presidential politics is like a spectator sport. So it makes perfect sense for card publisher Upper Deck to enter the race with candidate cards. One political card is inserted in every eight packs. Each pack includes 18 cards. Upper Deck is hoping that “lapsed” collectors and non-baseball fans will repeatedly fork over $2.99 to find the collectibles. The company’s “Presidential Predictor” set includes John McCain portrayed as Ted Williams (both decorated war veterans and left handed), Mitt Romney as Carlton Fisk (fellow New Englanders) and John Edwards as fleeting New York Giants right fielder Archibald “Moonlight” Graham (both healthcare advocates). Barack Obama, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson are also portrayed in the series, which was conceived as part of Upper Deck’s 2008 Series One Baseball “Super Tuesday” release last fall. Conspicuous by her absence is Hillary Clinton, for whom Upper Deck originally produced a card portraying her as Morgana the infamous “kissing bandit” — reputed for running onto the field to ambush players with hugs and kisses. One of the card company’s external “partners” complained about the depiction and it was pulled, according to Kerri Stockholm, Upper Deck director of marketing. But a few Clinton cards slipped through and still may be found in circulating decks. (One was posted on eBay with a high bid of $255 at last look.) A replacement Clinton card will be in the second set distributed in May, which will also likely include Mike Huckabee. There’s also a sweepstakes payoff. Collectors who enter the static code from the card backs on the Upper Deck Web site at www.presidentialpredictor.com are in the running to throw out the first pitch at a Big League opening day game next season if their card carries the election winner’s caricature.—Richard Tedesco IT’S MY TRUCK, AND I CAN DO WHAT I WANT WITH IT For the first time in 16 years, Lenny Sobel, owner of Mobile Ads, decided to use one of his 12 marketing-message trucks for a personal interest. In this case, mobilizing support for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for president. So for a week in early February a 10 x 22 foot vehicle with a poster bellowing “The Only Presidential Candidate That Can’t Be Bought,” drove up and down the streets of Manhattan. Initially camped out in front of Bloomberg’s townhouse at 6:30 a.m., Sobel was asked by the mayor’s security detail to drive on. “I thought it was a great opportunity for my company,” Sobel tells Promoland. The stunt also garnered newspaper articles in Newsday and amNY. He spent $2,000 of his own money getting the sign made, and his trucks usually lease for $750 a day. But Sobel admits that his fleet isn’t always booked. Undeterred by Bloomberg’s insistence that he’s not running, Sobel remains hopeful the mayor will jump in.—Larry Jaffee HOLD THE ANCHOVIES TNT tried to score ratings points for its coverage of last month’s NBA All-Star weekend with pizza deliveries. The cable network ordered pizza boxes carrying full-color action shots of NBA All-Stars Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Steve Nash. TNT distributed 360,000 boxes through Mangia Media to 162 pizzerias in New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Dallas just before Super Bowl weekend. “Looking at the target audience, they are pizza-eaters,” says Jenny Storms, TNT senior vice president of marketing. TNT figures sports enthusiasts may treat the boxes as a collectible. “We think it’s a commemorative item,” she says. A Times Square billboard mirrored the pizza box image, which was also reproduced in TV spots and print ads.—Richard Tedesco TOP LEFT: CURT GOODWIN 58 March 2008 / WWW.PROMOMAGAZINE.COM / Promo http://www.presidentialpredictor.com http://www.promomagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Promo - March 2008

Promo - March 2008 Editor's Note Girls' Club New Eco Regs? They're Not Going Anywhere Spreads Easily RFID Ramp-Up From Backyard to Broadcast Commentary VROOOM! Stuff We Can't Do Here Yet Q&A: Measuring Up Free Ink The Agency Center Resource Center Promotions 2.0 Index of Advertisers

Promo - March 2008

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