Bowl marketing

Nearly dozing in my recliner! (ha ha) after a glass of holiday cheer with the sounds of yet another bowl game on the tele, I suddenly heard the words, ‘Flo-Max bowl’.   I came to quickly.  This had to rank up there with Value City Arena and Outback bowl and all those other new marketing hook-ups.  This is beyond the common pleasant food associations like ’sugar’, ‘oranges’, ‘roses’ and nostalgia from the past. Without corporate sponsorship money today, where would America be?  But it got me to thinking about the pharmaceutical connection and I really had to laugh.

Now I’m sure more than one humor writer or comedian has riffed on this topic because its too good to pass up. I mean, can you imagine the Viagra bowl . . . or the Cialis bowl.  I wonder what the cheerleaders are wearing? Care for a hot brat? Or how about the Ambien bowl- now that’s a snooze!   I imagined a 0-0 score late  in the 4th quarter with boring retrospectives.   Perhaps a Pepto-bismol or Immodium bowl would  offer pre-game spicy chili or hot dog eating contests.    The Plavix bowl could feature plenty of interesting advertisers. Presumably you choose folks who are a) either in alignment with your goals of a heart healthy lifestyle, b) the reason for havivng to take the drug in the first place,   c) a celeb with the condition, or d) reinforce what the drug does-slippery as a platelet!   What with embarrasing products advertised in prime time, how about the commentating at the KY jelly bowl.: ‘He slipped right through their hands and into the end zone! Fast as greased lightening!’ 

There are all kinds of marketing possibilities applied to lots of products or even people.  Think of the  Oscar Meyer bowl for the real wienies of the year 2009!  I can think of plenty of nominees from the financial services industry.  By now you are thinking of your own ideas beyond sports marketing and they will probably continue to pop up like Alka Seltzer.  And so, I wish you a Happy 2010.  Cheers!