The Five Most Unlikely NASCAR Sponsorships
Yesterday when we found out that Starbucks was the latest company to buy ad space on a NASCAR vehicle we reacted with stupefied disbelief. Not being NASCAR fans, the partnership didn't seem to make sense. What did $4-a-cup coffee have in common with a sport that started when a couple Prohibition-era bootleggers decided to modify their engines?
Nothing says "easy pun" like a car with Viagra on its hood.
Of course, we were wrong. Way wrong. They don't say "race on Sunday, sell on Monday" for nothing. Tune in to Fox on race day and you'll see most of corporate America represented via the rear panel sticker, uniform patch or whathaveyou. NASCAR fans are known for fierce brand loyalty. (For confirmation, ask a Tony Stewart follower for directions to the nearest Lowe's and see what happens.) So it only makes sense that companies, no matter what they're selling, would want to sell it on a race car.
Still, some products just look more natural than others on the hood of a Chevy. Budweiser? Classic. Starbucks? Confusing. So here's one non-NASCAR fan's take on the five most unlikely sponsorships.
Jack Daniels: Although there is some perfect symmetry in the fact that the booze which once jostled in the backseat has now moved front-and-center, it's still a little jarring to see liquor hawked on a vehicle going 200 MPH. Especially whiskey.
What meth is to hard drugs whiskey is to spirits. You, me and the guy sitting next to you all know a couple friends who've said the following: "Sorry about last night. Whiskey just makes me crazy!" And it does. You have the dry cleaning bill to prove it.
Viagra: Because NASCAR is a private company, they can say who is and isn't allowed to advertise with them. The general rule seems to be that if you're family-friendly you're in, which explains why Playboy got rebuffed a couple years ago. But pink bunny ears seem downright PG compared to Viagra, the sponsorship that launched a million terrible "it really revs my engines" jokes.
Yes, it is real medicine designed to treat a real disorder. But when you get right down to it, most guys don't want to spend four hours being reminded of their own impending impotence.
Nicorette: Cigarettes built NASCAR. Along with beer and the Big Three Automakers, smokes were a prime reason for the sport's ascendance. It was, after all, called the Winston Cup for 33 years. Watching a stop-smoking car draft in a race that once used to celebrate the taste of sweet, sweet nicotine is like seeing an ad for O'Doul's during halftime of Monday Night Football. It just doesn't make sense.
Stacker 2: The diet pill maker lasted less than three years as a sponsor. Maybe because it realized it wasn't making enough return on its investment. Or maybe because it realized people don't like to be reminded that the Cokes, M&Ms, Coors Lights and Doritos they're simultaneously ingesting aren't exactly health products.
Barack Obama: OK. So it never actually happened. But last year, BAM Racing offered Barack Obama a spot on the hood of their No. 49 Toyota, a partnership that would have made NASCAR and presidential history, and also would have confused the hell out of a lot of race fans who thought they were watching two Pepsi cars circling the track.
15 comment(s)
Yowser says:
Stacker 2 didn't last because they were banned from the shelves for epherdra. Obama didn't want to spend the money on a car and NASCAR didn't want to be obviously involved in politics. Jack Daniels left because they want to spend their money getting into the food market since the government is about to tax the crap out of them just like cigarettes and soda are being taxed.
Posted On: Friday, Nov. 13 2009 @ 1:38PM
tim says:
mr. caleb - the chase is on ABC not Fox. You are so lame.
Posted On: Friday, Nov. 13 2009 @ 2:05PM
Drew says:
There are a lot of inaccuracies in this article. For one, Stacker 2 was involved in NASCAR for more than a half season. They sponsored Kenny Wallace for a full BGN schedule in 2002, moved with them to Cup in 2003, moved back with him to BGN in 2004, and in 2005 ran the half season with him.
Tony Stewart doesn't drive for Home Deport any longer so your Lowe's comment is not relevant.
Posted On: Friday, Nov. 13 2009 @ 2:15PM
Me says:
Caleb, might want to just give up writing about NASCAR. You're getting pummeled by the commentators.
You're 0-for-2 with your NASCAR articles.
Just walk away. You can't redeem yourself.
Posted On: Friday, Nov. 13 2009 @ 2:29PM
Danielle says:
Seriously? After offending approximately 90% of NASCAR fans yesterday, you take another run at the sport today? I am literally cracking up! I also noticed that you are billed as a "Sports Reporter". That's really cute. I see you put in about as much research time for this article as you did the previous attempt. Is this a free newspaper, by any chance? (Joking aside, a better idea, and one that would have required you do no research at all, which clearly speaks to your journalistic style, would have been apologizing to the millions of people you were so quick to offend.)
Please go back to writing about beer pong or whatever sport you actually ARE qualified to write about.
Posted On: Friday, Nov. 13 2009 @ 3:10PM
Kim says:
Um, you do realize half of your comments in this article are incorrect? Tony Stewart no longer drives for Home Depot, Viagra hasn't been a sponsor in 4 years, there is nothing odd about seeing Nicorette on a car racing in a series that no longer has anything to do with cigarettes (BTW, they helped many people in the garage kick the habit when they became a sponsor...worth having them in the sport if you ask MHO.) While Obama did not advertise on a car last year, several candidates did. (let's see if you can find out which ones...).
I think you need to take a pass on your NASCAR commentary until such time as you either do better on-line research, or actually attend a race and talk to the fans directly.
Posted On: Friday, Nov. 13 2009 @ 4:38PM
Pete says:
Can you write another NASCAR piece tomorrow? I'm wrapping some fish and also lining my birdcage and I can get the job done by printing one more of your masterpieces. Thanks!
Posted On: Friday, Nov. 13 2009 @ 6:59PM
4ever3 says:
Come on you guys are too harsh with Caleb - he did say he was a non-nascar fan after all and taking that point under consideration I think you should cut him some slack and welcome him into our community instead of mocking him and driving him away.
And BTW my friend is a Tony Stewart fan and he still doesn't shop at Lowes even though Tony is with Old Spice/Office Depot right now.
Posted On: Friday, Nov. 13 2009 @ 9:11PM
Diana Troldahl says:
Sure, I'd cut Caleb some slack, if we were sitting around a kitchen table having a discussion, but when someone is presenting non-fictional words in print in exchange for a paycheck, I expect a bit more.
Even in an opinion piece it behooves a professional to get a FEW facts straight.
Hell, even a novel writer checks their facts when they bring certain elements into a story.
What's next? Hockey season is starting up, I'm sure he can find a few incongruities to flail around. Might as well become famous for something.
Posted On: Saturday, Nov. 14 2009 @ 5:37AM
Melissa says:
It's amazing at your attempt to redeem yourself. Unfortunately, another swing-and-a-miss (did you understand that reference, Sports Writer?). I'm not sure what's worse: the fact that you attempted a SECOND ignorant article on something you SHOULD know about or at least be able to write FACTS about (after all you are a sports writer) OR the fact that your employer and editor(s) continue to let you make a fool of yourself.
Posted On: Saturday, Nov. 14 2009 @ 6:49AM
Dave says:
This garbage you write proves your absolute ignorance of the sport you choose to write about, your understanding of it's fans, sponsors, drivers or even how the sport works for that matter.
I cannot believe they actually pay you to write for them, then again... maybe you just sent them a freebee? If they do in fact pay you to write crap like this then certainly this entire rag isn't worth the time to read it.
Your career as a sports writer is doomed.
Posted On: Saturday, Nov. 14 2009 @ 8:20AM
Melissa says:
4EVER3...I thought Mr. Hannan was a sports columnist, not an opinion columnist, but I guess I was wrong. I WILL NOT welcome him, since he wouldn't choose to shut up and listen! He had his opportunity to do that after his last article... http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2009/11/attention_starbucks_nascar_fan.php...he CHOSE to continue to write a column on NASCAR and its fans without considering his readers. If he wanted to write this kind of non-factual garbage, he should have sent his resume to The National Enquirer!
Posted On: Sunday, Nov. 15 2009 @ 9:23AM
Melissa says:
http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2009/11/attention_starbucks_nascar_fan.php
Try that link again!
Posted On: Sunday, Nov. 15 2009 @ 9:24AM
Anonymous says:
Caleb-Your Nov.12 article made me so mad that I wrote a letter to the editor of this publication about how offensive it was. As much as I would love to correct you and your article on all of the wrong things you chose to put in print, I decided not to hand you your ass. Instead, I suggest you stop writing articles about NASCAR because it is not cool. It only makes you look ignorant trying to write about something you don't know.
Posted On: Monday, Nov. 16 2009 @ 2:35PM
Observer says:
I am 44, female, and an educator. I patronize our local Starbucks 2x a week.
I'd like for you to re-read your --ahem!-- articles, and consider that you may be very, very far astray in your assessment.
An apology would be nice, but it isn't really necessary.
Ceasing to write about something of which you know so little is infinitely more helpful.
Sincerely,
An educated, liberal fan.
Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 17 2009 @ 3:00PM