Thoughts on Sports Sponsorships
2008 June 17
Clint Bowyer being interviewed by ESPN before the race, originally uploaded by C.Fredrickson Photography.
Do you ever watch NASCAR? Probably not. I do and it’s really annoying how the drivers work in their sponsor’s name during every interview they get. Does this actually sell any beer, paint, tools, whiskey, candy, tampons or whatever else they have painted on the car?
I get the whole painting the logo on the car. That makes sense. But weaseling the sponsors name in to an interview? Makes no sense.
And if it does work, why don’t golfers work their sponsors name into the interviews? Probably because their sponsors realize it doesn’t mean jack shit to selling more golf clubs, shoes, cars or boner pills.
I don’t know a lot about NASCAR or golf, but I know a lot about the way sponsorships work in mixed martial arts (UFC).
1. They don’t explicitly get paid for every time they mention their sponsors’ names in interviews, but I’m sure the sponsors are happy to hear it and the athletes hope that translates to more sponsorship
2. Not sure about the specifics in NASCAR and golf, but in the UFC fighters are specifically forbidden to mention sponsors in post-fight interviews, mostly because the interviews just turned into long, dull laundry lists of sponsors