Big changes are coming to the NBA next season, but you may need your glasses to see them.
When the league announced last spring that its 30 franchises could begin selling jersey sponsorships for the 2017-18 season, many fans chafed at the idea. The small 2½-inch-by-2½-inch patch on the upper left corner of the jersey was derided by some as an end of the last ad-free uniform in professional sports.
Meanwhile, the NBA and its commissioner Adam Silver have trumpeted the move as a new way to adapt to the evolving habits of viewers.
“The media landscape is changing,” Silver said last April. “People are watching less live television outside of sports. People are watching fewer commercials. This will become an important opportunity for companies for connecting directly with their consumers.”
So far only five teams have announced jersey sponsorships, in deals ranging in the neighborhood of $4 million to $8 million annually. The Philadelphia 76ers were the first to sign a sponsor, choosing to wear Stubhub. Others include the Sacramento Kings and Blue Diamond Growers, the Boston Celtics and General Electric, the Brooklyn Nets and Infor, the Utah Jazz and Qualtrics (“Five for the Fight”), and reigning league champions Cleveland Cavaliers and Goodyear.
In the aftermath of a heartbreaking 92-89 loss to the Toronto Raptors in Game 6 last night, the Milwaukee Bucks suddenly find themselves in the offseason, with plenty of time to begin preparing for when they do it all again in October.
The organization has yet to announce if it will sign a jersey sponsor for next season, but we did bit of their research for them in case they decide they want a piece of the pie.
1. Harley-Davidson
Local brand? Yes
Brand fit: ★★
Why should they be the sponsor? Harley-Davidson saw its motorcycle sales decline 5.7 percent in the first quarter this year compared to the same time last year, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. While this might seem like an indication that the company is in tough times… well, you’d be right. But Harley-Davidson has also announced its plan to build the next generation of Harley riders. What better way to reach that next generation than to advertise directly to the youngest fan base in professional sports? The median age of NBA fans in 2014 was 37, compared to 47 for NFL fans and an ancient (sorry Mom and Dad) 53 for MLB fans.
2. Lexus
Local brand? No
Brand fit: ★
Why? Lexus unveiled a partnership with the Bucks at the beginning of this season that included special perks for Bucks’ fans that drive — you guessed — a Lexus. The big perk: VIP valet parking at Bucks games. Maybe for an extra $1-2 million, Lexus can work out an exclusive deal where only Lexus drivers can buy Bucks’ replica jerseys?
3. Kohl’s
Local brand? Yes
Brand fit: ★★★★
Why? Kohl’s is a longstanding clothing retailer in Wisconsin, and former U.S. senator Herb Kohl is also a former owner of the Bucks. Getting on the team’s uniforms almost makes too much sense for the department store. Plus, they are one of the few brands that can say they could actually sell the gear they’d be sponsoring.
4. BMO Harris Bank
Local brand? Yes
Brand fit: ★★★
Why? They already have the naming rights to the current, painfully out of date, soon-to-be destroyed arena. When the BMO Harris Bradley Center is gone, BMO Harris Bank will need a new way to stay associated with the team.
5. John Deere
Local brand? Might as well be.
Brand fit: ★
Why? John Deere is actually from Illinois (boo!) but can be found all over the farmlands of Wisconsin. I mostly put this on the list because I want the deal to include Bango riding a tractor around the basketball court during TV timeouts. He’s already been seen on a Harley trying to “rev up” the crowd. Milwaukee, please make my dream come true!
6. Potawatomi Casino
Local brand? Yes
Brand fit: ★★
Why? The Potawatomi Casino tower already stands like a beacon across the city of Milwaukee drawing gamblers to its doors, but if that isn’t enough, maybe some carefully placed advertising on the front of an NBA jersey will remind fans to drown their sorrows in the slots after a tough loss? On second thought, maybe a gambling brand and sports don’t mix… although the billions of dollars bet on professional sports every year would indicate otherwise.
7. Pabst Blue Ribbon
(Runner-up: Miller Lite)
Local brand? Yes
Brand fit: ★★★★★
Why? Pabst is back in Milwaukee! With the grand unveiling of its new taproom on the old Pabst site earlier this spring, PBR is finally back where it all began. What better way to announce its return to the motherland than a prominently placed patch on the upper left chest of the Milwaukee Bucks’ jersey? As an added bonus, sports fans love beer. Plus, double bonus, basketball’s growing notoriety as a hipster-friendly space makes this hipster concoction the perfect pairing.
8. Palermo’s Pizza
Local brand? Yes
Brand fit: ★★★
Why? Palermo’s has worked with the Bucks before, including free pizza giveaways at games and ticket giveaways at local grocery stores. A Palermo’s patch would seal the deal for the pizza company, elevating it from the minor leagues into the big leagues of sports advertising.
9. Colectivo Coffee
Local brand? Yes
Brand fit: ★★★
Why? With seven cafes in the city of Milwaukee and 13 in the greater area, it feels like there’s a Colectivo on every corner. If that itself isn’t enough to keep the brand floating around in the subconscious of consumers, this might be just the way. Bucks fans will need something to drink to keep them awake through long games when the Bucks inevitably become bad again.
10. Pick ’n Save
Local brand? Yes
Brand fit: ★★★
Why? I can see the ad campaign now: “Eat your veggies from your local Pick ’n Save grocery store and you too could be as tall as Giannis Antetokounmpo.” You don’t think the long, lean Bucks got that tall without eating their carrots, do you?
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