The image of Michael Phelps “swimming” across a Midwestern wheat field toward Vancouver recently raised the ire of the United States Olympic Committee (“USOC”), which characterized the image as
Sports Marketing
The Athlete Endorsement Game
By Sheppard Mullin on
Posted in Endorsement Agreements, Sports Marketing
Successful athlete endorsements can enhance consumer recognition of a brand and increase the relative perceived value of the products being endorsed. But securing a high-profile endorsement often requires lengthy negotiation…
Citi Field: What’s In A Name?
By Sheppard Mullin on
Posted in Endorsement Agreements, Sports Marketing
When Citigroup (“Citi”) announced its unprecedented $400 million dollar deal for naming rights to the new Mets Stadium in late 2006, sports marketing experts assumed that Citi was breaking new…
Endorsement Agreements: Guild Jurisdiction And Allocation Guidelines Both Being Challenged
By Sheppard Mullin on
Although the WGA strike is reportedly near an end, the strike has naturally made it harder to find paid acting jobs in film and television, causing a greater number of Hollywood celebrities (and their agents and other reps) to pursue endorsement opportunities and the money that follows. The money, however, doesn’t just go to the celebrities and their reps. It also goes to the trustees of the applicable guild’s Pension and Health Plan. The amounts being claimed by the trustees, and in some cases the threshold issue of whether the trustees are entitled to ANY amounts, are increasingly being challenged. This blog entry briefly discusses the allocation issue and the jurisdiction issue.…