IZOD is Spending Millions on the IRL but RHR Has no ride!
As reported by Robin Miller, IZOD is poised to launch one of the largest advertising and promotional campaigns in IRL History.
In a few weeks, "millions of dollars will be spent on national television ads, promo trailers in movie theaters, major magazines and newspapers and in-store promotions at Macy's stores across the country that will also include a special Indy 500 clothing line".
Unfortunately, the face of IZOD in the IRL (RHR) has no ride for the upcoming season. ""I'm told that I don't have to worry, although I don't know what that means yet," said Mike Kelly, the president of marketing for Phillip Van Husen, the parent company of IZOD. "I know the IRL is as concerned as I am and we speak about it daily".
""We want to create as much hoopla as possible. It's our first venture into motorsports and we want it to be a success." But getting the star of IZOD's promotions into a competitive car is front and center right now. Asked if IZOD considered being RHR's sponsor, Kelly replied: "No, our spend is outside the car space because our role as a partner is to leverage the sport into mainstream culture."
Given the downfall of the world economy and the lack of new Major sponsors with the IRL, I hope they don't screw up this opportunity by leaving RHR without a ride. It would be a pity to ruin a viable relationship with a new and very prominent sponsor, especially when most Tier 1 corporations would rather see their logos associated with the NASCAR juggernaut.
Source: http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...deless-driver/
OK something is weird, but not $4 to 6 million weird!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken
I COULDN"T AGREE MORE!!!!
Because IZOD is going to spend 6 million dollars on an ad campaign which features RHR and since his team has gone kaput, some feel it is incumbent on the IRL, or more particularly, TG to spend 4 to 6 million to ensure that RHR has a ride so IZOD can benefit from the money it is planning on spending.
If the IRL had assured IZOD that RHR would have a ride then, yes, there is an obligation. But, short of that, the league should do what it can to see that a sponsor who made a deal with a possible participant doesn't get embarrassed because they were less than competent when they developed their plan. I believe they are doing just that.
However, the entire IZOD deal is baffling. Can you buy IZOD/IRL merchandise? I haven't been able to locate any even though we are approaching the second year of the relationship. I do know you can buy some sharp NIKE and Reebok Centennial logo'd merchandise at brickyard.com. I know they are doing their darnedest to prove they are two separate and distinct companies but if it is believed they can sell a shirt for 50 bucks celebrating the centennial they should have similarly priced merchandise with IRL logos and that would be in the IZOD price range. Where is it???
So, while I don't believe there is any reason to fund a ride for RHR, the IZOD/IRL partnership appears to have been poorly managed by both IZOD and the IRL.
