Busch League?

Posted by on Jul 18, 2008 in Consumer Impact, Marketing Industry | 2 comments

As a marketer, how would you feel about attaching your brand to an athlete who is almost universally hated?  That’s exactly what M&Ms did when the talented, but mercurial, Kyle Busch joined Joe Gibbs Racing this season after being let go by Hendrick Motorsports, the most successful team in NASCAR.  I’m sure there were a few long discussions about how sponsoring NASCAR’s version of Barry Bonds or Terrell Owens could possibly sell more candy, but halfway through the 2008 Sprint Cup season, the gamble appears to be paying off. 

Comparing Busch to Bonds might seem a little harsh, but it’s saying something when NASCAR fans are routinely compelled to throw beer at this kid during his post-race victory laps instead of consuming it.  NASCAR is all about the drivers, which leads to the question of whether to sponsor a fan favorite who runs in the middle of the pack or a potential winner who is not well liked (e.g., Busch).  I say go with the winner.

M&Ms has been sponsoring NASCAR drivers for more than a decade, including the likes of Ernie Irvan, Elliott Sadler and David Gilliland, but on-track successes over the years were few and far between.  All that has changed with Busch – the brash 23-year-old with a cocky attitude and limitless skills.  Remarkably, he’s won 7 of the first 19 races in the Sprint Cup Series this year.  Even more stunning, he’s starting to win more fans each week with his driving ability and willingness to embrace the role as the ultimate villain.

In a way, it’s like professional wrestling, when they introduce a bad guy, but he’s so good at playing the role of antagonist that fans begin to take to him and the script writers are forced to adapt.

He’s certainly in no danger of claiming NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver Award, but the same could be said for Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt or Tony Stewart early in their careers. Although you still hear an overwhelming chorus of boos when Busch is introduced every week, all you have to do is listen to the growing number of cheers mixed in and look at the long lines at his merchandise trailer to realize that things are changing a bit.

After his win at the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, Busch was quoted as saying, “As long as they are making noise, you know you’re doing something right.”

All the while, M&Ms is right in the middle of it all – gaining a ton of exposure and sponsorship activation opportunities for the brand at the race track and beyond. With Busch behind the wheel, it’s sure to be a bumpy ride at times, but to me the positives outweigh the negatives. 

Besides, even if you hate Kyle Busch, it’s hard to hate M&Ms.  I don’t even know if it’s possible for controversy to stick to that delicious candy coated shell.

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  • Arik H.

    Remember, some of today’s most beloved athletes were hated villains at certain points in their careers. Think back to when fans jeered Jack Nicklaus for his “baby fat” and for consistently beating the legend of the day, Arnie Palmer. Or, think about lightning rod-type players like Dennis Rodman. Say what you will about Rodman’s personal affairs, but the guy was a winner on the court. He helped the Pistons and Bulls to world championships and was a key part of lifting San Antonio as a winner in the early 90s. Now, Rodman’s off-the-court antics may have been a dealbreaker for most sponsors, but winning can cure many ills. It’s indifference that’s the enemy, not hatred.

  • http://www.fasthorseinc.com JohnR

    Nicklaus is a good example. You could make the argument for Roger Clemens, too — at least until the steroid issue blew up. But after he joined the Yankees, he was often lauded by the media for his competitive drive and had become, if not exactly a widespread hero, then at least someone who was no longer automatically dismissed as a hot-headed ass. (Mike Piazza would disagree.)

    Muhammad Ali was widely vilified during the ’60s when he changed his faith and refused to go to Vietnam, but ended his career as someone who often turned up on most-admired lists. He never got a helluva lot of endorsements that I can think of, though, even after he became the revered elder statesman.