2010 All-Star Rosters Are In, Mo Williams Left Off the Team
January 28, 2010While We’re Waiting… LeBron’s MVP Speech, Mo’s Nickname and CSU Football
January 29, 2010You know why LeBron James needs to leave Cleveland? Because he’s just not getting the major marketing and sponsorship deals with the world’s largest corporations being stuck in little ol’ Cleveland. Perhaps that’s slight reductio ad absurdum in practice there, but the general point is one that I’ve heard plenty of times before.
I guess sponsorships with Nike, Coke, State Farm Insurance, Bubbilicious, VitaminWater, etc aren’t glamorous enough. So how about McDonald’s? Does that add some clout to his endorsement profile?
I first heard about this story from Brian Windhorst way back in the first week of this month. Now, it appears it has become official and LeBron James will be featured with Dwight Howard in a McDonalds commercial during the Super Bowl. The 2 superstars will be dueling each other in a game of H-O-R-S-E similar to the classic Jordan vs Bird H-O-R-S-E commercial.
Tom Withers wrote a story for the Associated Press on this issue, and he talks a little bit about what this sponsorship all means for LeBron:
Beyond his involvement in charity work with the company, James will be part of TV, print and online advertising campaigns for McDonald’s, which operates over 31,000 restaurants in 119 countries.
Maverick Carter, James’ business partner and CEO of LRMR Marketing, said the pairing of James and McDonald’s was a “a perfect fit.”
“McDonald’s is one of the best known and most recognizable brands in the world,” Carter said. “LeBron couldn’t ask for a better partner and for him to be involved with such a company says a lot about where he is in his career.”
[…]
In March, James will lend his support to the McDonald’s All-American high school games in Columbus, Ohio. Proceeds of the event will go to Ronald McDonald House charities in Central Ohio. James was named MVP of the game when it was held in Cleveland in 2003.
No matter how you feel about McDonalds food, there’s no question they do a lot of respectable charity work and it’s great to see that LeBron will be involved with that aspect of this sponsorship deal as well.
This just continues to show that no matter how badly some want to believe it to be true, the reality is that Cleveland is not too small of a market for LeBron to be an influential part of major marketing partnerships across the world. Now the only question that remains is who won the game of H-O-R-S-E between he and Howard?
18 Comments
Dunkoff? Ok. Horse? Um…huh?
The Jordan-Bird adds worked because they were both easily some of the best jump shooters in the history of the league.
Now, an even crazier idea…a Rejecting competition!
Have some random guy go up for a dunk/layup and see you can embarass him the most.
I agree with Eli, I feel like they could have picked someone better for LBJ to play HORSE with, I mean at least someone that can shoot…
Remember. Bron is the guy who put a fricken football through the hoop from fullcourt and regularly warms up with underhanded half court shots.
Dwight…could probably dunk a basketball made of lead. I think that’s probably his only chance.
no, no, no. the press release is wrong. lebron signed with McDowell’s – not McDonald’s. he has to go to nyc to sign with mcdonalds.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ee/McDowellsFacade.jpg
*sigh*… this commercial would be have been a lot better if it was LeBron and Durant. Guaranteed.
GIT ME SUM MICKEY F***IN’ D’s.
Go go Bron Bron, work yo’ Cleveland Magic.
Get it? Cause he’s with Dwight? Cleveland… Magic… alright I’m leaving.
LeBron with Wade, Kobe, Carmelo, or Durant would have been better. Btw I had a McChicken earlier, good stuff.
DWIGHT V LEBRON BAKITBAWW SIZED SHOTPUT GO
Anybody hear about Delonte’s trial date being bumped back to April 26th?
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4867122
Who thinks that is good or bad news in terms of his playing time? If Windhorst is correct in suggesting he’ll be suspended for a few games, is that going to result in him missing playoff games?
Just wondering.
“Reductio ad absurdum”! I like it! What other sports site gives you brain crunches like that?
There’s no telling what sort of mangle-osity Reghi would inflict on that phrase.
^^^Get off Reghi’s back Fred McLoud wouldn’t even know how to read that in his script! 😉
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4867391
What is this all about? Fine for Lebron?
“suggesting he’ll be suspended for a few games, is that going to result in him missing playoff games?”
Maybe he’ll get the Robbie Alomar treatment and get to start the suspension next year.
“Look… me and the McDonald’s people got this little misunderstanding. See, they’re McDonald’s… I’m McDowell’s. They got the Golden Arches, mine is the Golden Arcs. They got the Big Mac, I got the Big Mick. We both got two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions, but their buns have sesame seeds. My buns have no seeds.”
@ TOT – it’s quite likely he can get another extension into June or later. He’s is likely one of the 25 highest paid residents of PG County. I could see this being a drawn out ordealio.
I’m lovin’ it.
Good stuff Andrew…well said right here:
“This just continues to show that no matter how badly some want to believe it to be true, the reality is that Cleveland is not too small of a market for LeBron to be an influential part of major marketing partnerships across the world.”
Agree 100%…Big Mac’s all around!
[…] long after the LeBron James-McDonalds marriage was announced, it looks like No. 23 will be giving some of his endorsement money back to the NBA as […]