Sept. 11 TV Advertising: What Do You Think About How Marketers Observed 9/11?

From Spike Lee's State Farm Ads to the Latest Incarnation of Budweiser's Tribute Spots

State Farm, Anheuser-Busch and Verizon were among the marketers that observed 9/11 in their TV advertising. What did you think of the efforts? Who did it the right way? Did anyone do it the wrong way?

MLB's Home Run Derby Will Be Twittervized

League Encouraging Players to Tweet From the Field

A few years ago, when then-Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour Commissioner Carolyn Bivens suggested that players tweet while on the course, golfers looked at her like she had three heads and politely ignored the request.

More recently, in 2009, the National Basketball Association had the opposite problem -- players tweeting during games, which prompted the league to put a ban on Twitter 45 minutes before and after each game. Similar policies were adopted by the National Hockey League and National Football League.

So it will be interesting to see how the social-media tool will be used going forward after tonight, when Major League Baseball players will utilize Twitter from the field during the Home Run Derby, part of the sport's annual All-Star activities. Tonight's Home Run Derby and tomorrow's All-Star Game are both at Chase Field in Phoenix.

The social-media experiment is at the request of MLB, which has no formal policy on tweeting but informally asks players to turn off all communication devices 30 minutes prior to game time.

In addition to the tweets tonight, there will be video and picture content shot by players during the event that will be distributed across social media and posted to MLB.com, marking the first time MLB players will communicate directly with fans via social media platforms while on the field during an MLB event.

The participants include: Jose Bautista (@JoeyBats19), Heath Bell (@HeathBell21), Gio Gonzalez http://twitter.com/giogonzalez47), Joel Hanrahan http://twitter.com/hanrahan4457, Matt Kemp http://twitter.com/therealmattkemp, Howie Kendrick http://twitter.com/HKendrick47, David Ortiz http://twitter.com/davidortiz, Hunter Pence http://twitter.com/HunterPence9, Brandon Phillips http://twitter.com/DatDudeBP, Gaby Sanchez http://twitter.com/GabySanchez15, Justin Upton http://twitter.com/RealJustinUpton, Shane Victorino http://twitter.com/ShaneVictorino and C.J. Wilson http://twitter.com/str8edgeracer. Other All-Stars will have the opportunity to share their personalized live commentary, photos and video through MLB and MLBPA social media accounts on Twitter @mlb and @MLB_PLAYERS) and Facebook (Facebook.com/MLB and Facebook.com/MLBPlayersAssoc).

ESPN will show the Twitter handles of the Derby participants and some of the All-Stars who are engaging in social media during tonight's Home Run Derby telecast.

The traditional halfway point of the season also finds MLB having another solid year. Overall attendance is flat compared to the All-Star break in 2010 (down less than 1%) as the league looks to have its eighth consecutive year of all-time high attendance and ninth straight season of record revenue. Sales of MLB-licensed products are up 10% year-over-year.

News Corp.'s Fox, which is televising Tuesday night's All-Star Game, is reporting that ad inventory is sold out, and 40% of the inventory was purchased by MLB partners.

Weezer just can't stop writing songs for ads

As we already know, Weezer is no stranger to the shill. First, there was the Weezer Snuggie. Then the State Farm song. And now, an original tune for the IZOD IndyCar series that's being used to hype a mobile IndyCar app from Verizon. The clip, seen below, features some racing dignitaries and cheering fans in preppy polo shirts, along with the band members ripping through a ditty about grabbing life by the throat or some such. It's the 100-year anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, so maybe that accounts for the added musical firepower. Or maybe Weezer just does jingles now? No doubt they pay the bills. Rock on, guys.



STATE FARM HOLIDAY COMMERCIAL :: STARRING SELITA EBANKS & MEHCAD BROOKS

Shout out to Steve Stoute and Jay-Z for putting this together and the homie Tiffany Hardin over at Translation, LLC.

BIG CITY DREAMS MAY NOT EQUAL BIG ENDORSEMENT DOLLARS

BRANDS THAT RECIEVED THE MOST ATTENTION MARCH MADNESS?

Who were the Dukes and Butlers of March Madness brand consumer perception this year? YouGov's BrandIndex report examined the buzz scores of men 18-34 of all the corporate sponsors of the NCAA Men's Division Basketball Championship, from tip-off on March 18 to the final buzzer on April 5. Here are the brands that took the biggest jump.

The Brandweek Buzz Report by YouGov is a weekly consumer perception report that analyzes the most talked about brands based on buzz: The scores are based on weighing positive and negative perceptions of a brand. A +100 score is positive, a -100 score is negative, and a rating of zero means that the score is neutral.

YouGov interviews 5,000 people each weekday from a representative U.S. population sample. Respondents are drawn from an online panel of 1.5 million individuals.

The report spotlights:

• Toyota

• Lowe's

• State Farm

Toyota Gets a Jump Start

General Motors may have cut its March Madness support by half, but Toyota has not skipped a marketing beat and it’s lifting the company's reputation. Still traveling through the depths of negative perception, Toyota slowly moved upwards over the tournament’s duration from a buzz score of -53 to -37.4. One of the "Sweet 16" games was held at Houston’s Toyota Center, ensuring the brand name resonated with consumers and the media. In fact, Toyota had the most improved buzz score overall for the month of March when it comes to adults over 18.

DO YOU WANT TO BUY IN? LeBRON JAMES ON 60 MINUTES :: THROWBACK

"HI, MAY I HAVE A HAPPY DEAL PLEASE: LeBRON JAMES PARTNERS WITH McDONALD'S

LeBron James is now shooting with a Golden Arch.

The NBA superstar has agreed to a multiyear partnership with McDonald's Corp., adding the global fast-food giant to a list of heavyweight corporate sponsors that already included Nike, Coca-Cola and State Farm.

Financial terms were not immediately known, but the deal certainly will add to James' substantial net worth. Last year, Forbes Magazine estimated the 25-year-old made more than $40 million in salary and endorsements. He is currently ranked behind only Tiger Woods on the Bloomberg BusinessWeek list of America's most powerful athletes.

James will support several McDonald's programs and promotions as well as Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides housing to the families of seriously ill children.

He has filmed his first commercial with McDonald's, a take-off on the infamous 1993 ad that featured hoops legends Michael Jordan and Larry Bird engaging in a trick-shot competition for a Big Mac. The new spot will debut during the Super Bowl on Feb. 7.

James, a six-time All-Star with the Cleveland Cavaliers and reigning league MVP, is thrilled with his newest business partner.

"McDonald's and I make a great team," he said. "We share many of the same core values, including a commitment to excellence and giving back to the community. I am also excited about the opportunity to work with Ronald McDonald House Charities, which helps improve the lives of so many children and their families around the world."

Beyond his involvement in charity work with the company, James will be part of TV, print and online advertising campaigns for McDonald's, which operates more than 31,000 restaurants in 119 countries.

Maverick Carter, James' business partner and CEO of LRMR Marketing, called the pairing of James and McDonald's a "a perfect fit."

"McDonald's is one of the best known and most recognizable brands in the world," Carter said. "LeBron couldn't ask for a better partner and for him to be involved with such a company says a lot about where he is in his career."

Carter said James had "on-and-off" talks with McDonald's over the past four years, and that the sides began finalizing their deal in recent months.

James, who has two young boys, fits McDonald's wholesome image and his worldwide popularity makes him an ideal ambassador for the company.

"We really like what LeBron stands for on and off the court," said Peter Sterling, vice president of marketing of McDonald's USA. "He shares the same values as McDonald's. He's hard working. He's community minded and charity driven. LeBron is also that rare athlete that transcends his sport."

When Woods admitted to infidelity, the public firestorm led to some of his corporate sponsors either dropping the world's top golfer or re-examining their relationship with him. Woods' indiscretions may have prompted companies to take a closer look at potential clients.

McDonald's had no concerns in signing James.

"It's a fair question," Sterling said. "We've had a long-term relationship with LeBron, going back to when he was in high school. What we can do is rely on LeBron's past actions and if his past actions are any indication, we're very excited about our future."

In March, James will lend his support to the McDonald's All-American high school games in Columbus, Ohio. Proceeds from the event will go to Ronald McDonald House charities in central Ohio. James was named MVP of the game when it was held in Cleveland in 2003.

James filmed his commercial for McDonald's earlier this month in Indianapolis. The spot also features Orlando All-Star center Dwight Howard and Bird, the Boston Celtics legend. Howard recently signed a three-year deal with McDonald's worth a reported $3 million per year.

Filmed at Conseco Fieldhouse, the commercial is a spin on the famous "The Showdown" ad that Bird made with Michael Jordan. In that commercial, which first aired during the 1993 Super Bowl, the Hall of Famers engaged in a game of H-O-R-S-E with the winner getting a Big Mac. Bird and Jordan traded imaginary trick shots — the final one off a skyscraper's roof top — which had to be sunk with "nothin' but net."

James has made previous Super Bowl ads for Bubblicious and State Farm.

Carter said Steve Stoute, founder of New York-based Translation Advertising, played a key role in bringing together McDonald's and James.

SWEET "MEMORIES" - LeBRON JAMES & STATE FARM INSURANCE

Here is the most recent Lebron James More Than A Game commercial. James landed the State Farm endorsement deal in February 2008, after actually being a customer since 2004.

According to Pamela El, Vice-President of Marketing for State Farm, the goal of the endorsement deal is to "help connect our current State Farm brand and products - particularly our auto and renters insurance - to a young audience in new and relevant ways." More Than A Game may do just that.

More that a game is presented by State Farm and opens on October 2nd in select theaters.

Posted By: Amber El