No horsin' around when it comes to promotion Bright red and yellow ads for the new Spider-Man 2 movie were scheduled to appear on the bases at Major League Baseball games in 15 ballparks nationwide during June 11-13. MLB, Sony and Marvel Studios planned the promotion for the opening of the Spider-Man sequel on June 30. There was just one problem -- MLB didn't count on the public outcry by fans, especially in cities like Boston, Chicago and New York with strong baseball traditions. The baseball-related promotion, which was to cost Sony close to $3 million, was to include the Spider-Man 2 movie logo on all the bases except home plate and in the on-deck circles. After being admonished by the fans for the commercial intrusion of the grand old game and inquiries by uninformed team officials as to the specifics of the promotion, MLB decided that in the best interest of the fans, teams and owners, the games would go on without the spider webbed-bases. However, promotions for the movie were still planned for the ballparks. Run for the Roses In late April, jockeys participating in the 130th Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Ky., filed a federal law suit against a state regulation banning ads and promotional logos on the jockeys' uniforms. The jockeys who sued claimed the state's regulations prohibiting advertising and other logos was a violation of their free speech. Jockeys in California, Florida and New York are permitted to wear advertisements and the Jockeys' Guild union patch on their uniforms. Just 36 hours prior to the race, a U.S. District Court judge ruled in favor of the jockeys. That set off a mad scramble by jockeys and their agents to find the most lucrative endorsement deals before the May 1 Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs. And speaking of roses, jockeys David Flores and Noberto Arroyo Jr. wore 3-by-10-inch embroidered patches of Novalis' National Parks Rose Collection on their uniforms. Although Flores, who rode Action This Day, and Arroyo, who was on board Song of the Sword, finished in sixth and 11th place, respectively, the rose collection and Novalis names and logos were seen by a worldwide audience who tuned in to watch the race. J. Guy of Carolina Nurseries and president of Novalis said the promotion of the National Parks Rose Collection and Kentucky Derby were a perfect fit. "I saw an opportunity to be the first out of the gate in the horticulture industry to join our rose product with the Run for the Roses," Guy said. "Today, jockeys are taking a giant step in brand sponsorship that will be as commonplace as the brand names we see at NASCAR races and other sporting events." Shane Sellers, one of the jockeys who sued over the ad ban, echoes Guy's comments about brand sponsorship. Sellers told a reporter with the Lexington Herald-Leader that the jockeys' victory was one of the biggest in horse racing history. He said what brand sponsorship has done for NASCAR could be duplicated in horse racing. "All of a sudden, NASCAR is one of the biggest sports," Sellers said. "It's because of the endorsements. We need change, but in the end I think everybody is going to be happy." The opportunities to cross-brand flowers with other industry products is in its infancy. Proven Winners has done it with Sun Gro's Sunshine potting soil and fertilizers. But what about cross-branding and promoting floral products with unrelated products and industries? What kind of marketing excitement and interest could be created with PanAmerican Seed's new Kong series of huge-leafed coleus and the upcoming 2005 release of the movie remake of "King Kong"? The possibilities are endless. Send this article to a friend Enter your e-mail address: Enter your friend's e-mail address: Click the image below to send: © 2004 Branch-Smith Publishing