General Motors Corp. won’t be the automotive sponsor for the New York Yankees when the team’s new stadium opens next year.
Yankees chief operating officer Lonn Trost said Tuesday that Toyota and Audi will take over as the club’s auto sponsors. The new deals are for ballpark signage, as was the previous contract with GM.
General Motors was a Yankees sponsor from 2006-08.
“We understand their financial condition,” Trost said. “I think it was a mutual understanding.”
GM spokesman John McDonald said that in light of the current economic conditions, the automaker is reviewing all of its sponsorship activities as part of a plan to cut its marketing and promotions budget by 20 percent.
In addition, contracts with about six other major league teams expire at the end of this year, and those deals are being reviewed as well.
GM also recently decided against renewing a similar contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but its broader contract with MLB runs through 2010.
Last month, GM’s Buick brand said it was concluding its marketing contract with Tiger Woods one year early. That contract was valued at $7 million per year.
The automaker said in September that it would not air a TV advertisement during the 2009 Super Bowl. That came after announcement that it was also passing on airing ads during the Emmy Awards and the Academy Awards.
McDonald said he couldn’t comment on the values of the contracts involved or the amount of money GM expected to save by eliminating them.
Edelman Global CCO Judy John Named AICP Next Awards Judging Chair
Judy John, global chief creative officer at global communications firm Edelman, has been named as the 2025 AICP Next Awards judging chair. In this role, John has assembled a roster of jury presidents who will, in turn, select judges for all AICP Next Awards categories.
“I’m thrilled and honored to be named AICP Next Awards judging chair,” said John. “I’ve served as a Next jury president, and I know the caliber of work that’s entered and the level of talent judging that work. The Next Awards are special, as they recognize achievements through the lens of boundary-breaking innovations in marketing. Like great art, this work creates awe in the viewer, and reflects the times and culture in which it was created. The fact that the honored work is preserved in The Museum of Modern Art’s Department of Film’s archives for future generations adds a whole other level of significance.”
“Judy’s career in many ways reflects the DNA of the Next Awards, in that she is a globally-recognized expert in creating work using a wide range of techniques, media platforms and content formats,” said Matt Miller, president and CEO of AICP. “Her complete fluency in the current marketing communications landscape makes her an ideal judging chairperson. We’re delighted that she is serving in this role.”
The AICP Next Awards is much more than an awards competition; it’s also a platform for examining work through thought leadership and analysis. The entry deadline for the AICP Next Awards, along with the AICP Show: The Art & Technique of the Commercial and the AICP Post Awards, is Wed., February 26. Details can be found here.
Two new categories are joining the Next Awards this year, for... Read More