Jim Beam, Robby Gordon Help Keep Wrigley Field Unbranded
Jim Bean, and its "The Stuff Inside" campaign, have partnered with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver and owner Robby Gordon to save Chicago's Wrigley Field from being corporatized like every other stupid-sounding stadium in America. Seriously. How for a hundred years did stadiums survive without brand having to plaster their names all over them? Oh yea...those greedy agents and professional athletes are getting paid such obscene amounts of money someone has to pay for it. Why not a willing brand?
For his run at the Chicagoland Speedway this weekend, Gordon has plastered the hood of his car with "SaveOurName.com," a website that is the center of the effort to build grass roots support for "saving" Wrigley Field.No doubt, it's an uphill battle but why should Jim Beam capitalize on it so it can look like the good guy? That is until is signs a deal with the ball club and Wrigley Field becomes Jim Beam Park? OK, so maybe that won't happen but, seriously, are Chicago fans going to pony up the multi-millions of dollars needed to keep the club afloat and a brand's name off the Field? Unlikely. Though we appreciate the support and the effort.
Comments
Brilliant!
Thank God the Wrigley name doesn't brand build on any consumer products,eh?'))
What if they called it "Hubba-Bubba Field"?
The only acceptable sponsor would be McDonald's, but of course they would never have the guts to call it "Cheeseburger Cheeseburger Field".
"Cheese-bourger, Cheese-bourger" would not belong to McDonald's - that's the Billy Goat Inn from lower Michigan Avenue; straight from the John Belushi send up from Saturday Night Live. Now that might be a name the fans would accept (or not) because it's the original owner "Billy Goat" Sianis (sp) who cursed the Cubs in the first place.... but now that they have the best record in baseball....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_the_Billy_Goat
Wrigley Inc. needs to step and pay for what they been getting for free all these years. That or Mark Cuban can buy the Cubs and "keep it Wrigley" because he's got enough money already. Maybe Chan Ho can buy it? Chan Ho Park..ok, I'm done.
I always liked how the Cleveland Browns play at Cleveland Browns Stadium but 2 of the gates have sponsorships: Cleveland Clinic Sports Health Gate and National City Gate. Can't Chicago do this with Wrigley Field too?
WRIGLEY FIELD. WRIGLEY. IT ALREADY IS A BRAND. I FEEL LIKE IM TAKING CRAZY PILLS.
The branding of America's stadiums might have started with Wrigley Field. Time certainly makes for an interesting change in outlook.
I do agree that Wrigley might be a good place to start to look for money to help "save" the name.